BLACK CAB (2023)
Label: Acorn Media International
Region Code: Region-Free
Rating: Cert. 15
Duration: 87 Minutes 43 Seconds
Audio: English PCM 2.0 Stereo or 5.1 Surround with Optional English Subtitles
Video: 1080p HD Widescreen (2.35:1)
Director: Bruce Goodison
Cast: Nick Frost, Synnove Karlssen, Luke Noeis
The Shudder Original Black Cab (2023) is directed by Bruce Goodison (Born to Kill) starring Nick Frost (Hot Fuzz), who plays a creepy cabbie who picks up troubled couple Anne (Synnøve Karlsen, Last Night in Soho) and her abusive fiancé Patrick (Luke Norris, Poldark) from a local pub. The couple argue a bit in the backseat, and Ian comes to her defense, offering to drop Patrick off on the side of the road if she wishes, which she does not. As the can ride continues the couple realize that the cab's back doors do not open from the inside, and the windows are very darkly tinted. The argumentative couple, taking a break from arguing, start to feel a darker vibe encroaching, and soon realize that they are captives in the cab of a madman. Eventually Ian pulling over and shock Patrick into unconsciousness with a electric-zapper, then zip ties both of his passengers, driving them out to a rural stretch of road known as Mabel Hill, which is the most haunted stretch of road in England.
As the night wears on the talkative cabbie talks about his family, his sick son, and the folklore of Mabel Hill, which is said to be haunted by a lady in white. Sure enough, throughout the night Anne spots the spooky lady in white (Tilly Woodward) several times, making mention of it to Ian, who also seems to be aware of the haunting. As we learn more about Ian we also learn more about Anne and Patrick's relationship, secrets and flings are revealed, as are the true motives of Ian and why he picked Anne in particular on this fateful night, which is not as random as it might have first seemed.
On one hand the film is about a creepy cabbie adducting a young couples and tormenting them, on the other hand it's a film about maternal trauma filtered through a ghost story, each seems to be fertile for ground for a creepy little thriller, and it does offer some rather decent tension and eeriness at points with a few spurts of violence, but I did not find that the two ideas are married together all that well. The way it all pans out will likely be open to interpretation, but I think I got a good handle on it, and for some others a second watch might firm things up a bit and solidify my theories, but to be honest with you, it's just not a movie I think I'd want to watch a second time. I don't regret watching it, because I am always down for seeing Nick Frost in pretty much anything, he carries a lot of goodwill for me, and I enjoy his darker turns in recent watches like this and Get Away (2024). Also, Synnøve Karlsen and Luke Norris are absolutely solid as the bickering couple, with special mention being made to Norris for embodying what an asshole Patrick is so full bodied - so much so you just want to punch his in his fucking face, only for him to turn around actually show a spark of decency at a certain point that almost (almost) made you like him. Other kudos, the film is well-shot and looks solid and they make great use of justa few locations; the cab, a dilapidated hotel and a foggy stretch of creepy road, but just as a whole, complete film I found that it didn't quite gel for me, it's not terrible, but it;s still a classic a one and done for me.
Audio/Video: Black Car arrives on region-free Blu-ray from Acorn Media International in 1080p HD framed in 1.85:1 widescreen. The digital shot film looks solid, primarily taking place during the dark hours it is bathed in darkness and shadow, and the encode holds up pretty well. I only noticed a few minor crushed blacks and a bit of haloing, but overall a solid HD image with pleasing colors and appreciable textures and detail in the close-ups. Audio comes by way of English PCM 2.0 stereo or 5.1 surround with optional English subtitles. Both tracks sound excellent, the stereo has nice separation and panning effects while the surround opens up the sound design a bit with some nice use of he surrounds to accentuate creepier moments and charge-up the jump scares, plus the score by Gazelle Twins sounds fuller. A pretty slim slate of extras for this one, just a 2-min Behind-the-Scenes Picture Galley, which is total twaddle, I would have enjoyed a commentary at least from the director. The single-disc release arrives in a standard keepcase with a single-sided sleeve of artwork.
Special Features:
- Behind-the-Scenes Picture Gallery (2:11)
These are publicity stills, not screenshots from the Blu-ray:
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