Wheelman

This Netflix original from writer-director Jeremy Rush is one of the most gripping and entertaining action mysteries of the year.

Wheelman has a few great action sequences and one interesting idea, but is let down by a mediocre screenplay.

I love this sub-genre of crime pictures, and while this isn’t on a par with the true classics of the type, it’s in the conversation. A little of Tom Hardy’s cellphone in the car myopia “Locke,” a little of Gosling’s “Drive,” and a lot of Grillo goes a long way.

Unfortunately, for this viewer, the formal constraint foisted upon him by writer/director Jeremy Rush in Wheelman went right up his nose and stayed there, resulting in a little less than 90 minutes of annoyance.

It was good...until the end. Therefore I can only give it a 7. With a better ending it would easily get a 8 or 9.

Frank Grillo is already completely boxed in the action field but he does not seem to be bother by it at all and let's be honest, from time to time an action movie that does not demand anything and ends up being what it offers that is pure and simple entertainment can be gladly welcomed. Wheelman is just that, pure and simple entertainment, it doesn't try to be more than what it is, it doesn't try to cover more from what it can, this is just 82 minutes of an skillfully executed thriller and although it's not among the most striking things that came out on Netflix these last 15 days, it was fine.

The new Netflix original film Wheelman hails from Joe Carnahan and Frank Grillo’s War Party Productions. It follows a getaway driver (Grillo) who is double-crossed during a bank robbery gone wrong. With his family on the line, he races to find out exactly who betrayed him before time runs out. The gimmick being that the entire movie is filmed from the inside of the car. If you already have an idea of what a Grillo/Carnahan/Car movie is going to look like, you’re probably right on the money. Luckily, if you’re a fan of those involved, you’ll probably drive away entertained. A film set entirely within the confines of a car is not the most original idea. In the past five years alone we’ve seen Locke, Vehicle 19,and Brake attempt this premise with varying degrees of success. What sets Wheelman apart is its constant onslaught of crime movie tropes that do enough to change up the typical formula, but never so much as to complicate the film’s effective, streamlined plot. There’s twists, turns, and double crosses galore, all adding up to a very solid debut outing from writer-director Jeremy Rush (fittingly named). Every time Wheelman feels like it’s stretching its premise too thin, there’s another twist to **** you right back in. That these seams are visible is a flaw, but it’s to be expected when trying to contort to a one location gimmick. Annoyingly (minor spoilers), the film briefly breaks its own rules by following the Wheelman outside of the car. I was left wondering what the point was of all the previous efforts to keep all of the action inside the car if they’re just going to abandon it when work-arounds get more difficult to pull off. It’s a bit of a premise breaking moment in what is an otherwise well thought out exercise. Rush’s sleek visuals and rapid pacing keep the film engaging throughout. Truly, though, this is Grillo’s picture from top to bottom. He owns this movie, holds it all together, shellacking over any blemish he comes across along the way. Without Grillo’s gravitas, Wheelman is a D-grade B-movie. With Grillo behind the wheel, this engine’s got some real nice kick to it.

no broniłem się aby nie zasnąć... niestety w tym filmie, no kompletnie nie ma nic... nie wiem ... może to wynika z tego że znudzony usiadłem,liczyłem na cos lepszego a dostałem blele

I tried to like this film, I really did but it just doesn't cut it. The budget for this project must've been 1% or even less of a typical action film, and it shows. The premise is alright but the execution just violates all kinds of plausibility boundaries. When you find yourself going "really?!" and "c'mon!" more than a few times then you know you're wasting your time with this. I expected far better from Netflix.