Wheelman

Wheelman seems to be a lot of things at once. It’s nothing I have not seen before but a great mixture of everything I love about car movies.

With most of the movie taking place in a car, Frank Grillo plays the Wheelman, a driver just trying to pay his dues for the people who looked out for him while he was in jail, but in the process of doing his “work” someone pulls a double cross on the job.

It’s very weird how Wheel man reminds me of a lot of movies. From the 80s style found in the movie Drive, to the 1978 movie The Driver (In which Ryan O’Neal plays a Wheelman), to a Tom Hardy movie called Locke (Which completely takes place in a car), but despite what looks like on the surface as Wheelman coping the tone and style of a lot of films, It’s saving grace is that it does a excellent job putting it all together. I don’t know how hard or time consuming doing production in a car is, but I can see the filmmakers did a solid job with it, and good work Frank Grillo for keeping us interested in his character while in the car.

Sound is very important in this movie. It’s interesting. instead of the usually burn rubber sounds we are use to, most of the car sounds come form inside the car. Crisp details from the backing up beep to the windshield wiper, puts us in the environment of the car. Netflix films and shows love to add background environment sounds, and this time it really makes the movie. Especially, at times when the Wheelman is on the cell phone communicating with actors who are not on screen.

So, not bad. I’m seeing a lot of different elements to a lot of different movies all warped up in one package and I like it a lot.