Fox Hunt Drive

However, when Alison provokes the passenger by blaring tech-dance music or questioning his demands, he angrily responds with, “…I’m going to have to insist.” He then apologizes. These moments are characteristically crucial because they paint the passenger as capricious, perhaps even dangerous. So far, the passenger radiates fear and intrigue, while Alison is deciding what to do after her gruesome discovery.

There’s an overflowing sense of mystery behind the passenger: the jewelry, the gun, the pills. One piece of jewelry, in particular, comes up in conversation, and this specific piece of jewelry is attracting the attention of Detective Hartford (a convincingly stoic Ryan Forrestal), who is investigating a murder case. While Alison is in the company of an inscrutable passenger, the resolute detective is not far behind. It’s convenient, to say the least.

Of course, there needs to be a stalwart detective who inadvertently stumbles upon another crime scene that traces back to our protagonists, one of whom is concealing the truth. The detective is one of the more underused characters, as he is meant to fuel the actions during one particular sequence. Beyond that scene, Hartford is just a true-blue detective ripped straight from other crime shows.

“…there’s a lingering sense of doom and depravity…”

Anthony C. Kuhnz’s purposeful cinematography doesn’t spend too much time on the characters’ surroundings. Instead, Kuhnz is keen on keeping both characters in view. Through a succession of close-ups, the camera deftly captures Alison’s fearful eyes and fidgety hands, as she attempts to deal with the intimidating ambiguity of this man in the back seat. Lizzie Zerebko’s outstanding performance as Alison proves to be more scarily layered as the film progresses.

An hour in, an alarming twist emerges and alters the narrative completely. For this twist, the shock is genuine. That being said, there’s another character twist that comes across as distractingly convenient. And because this character is now revealed to be someone they aren’t, it only prompts predictability in the film’s rushed conclusion.

Deliciously twisted and well-acted, Drew Walkup’s Fox Hunt Drive is an impressive directorial effort. Adam Armstrong and Marcus DeVivo’s scheming script is full of staggering delights. For the majority of the picture, there’s a lingering sense of doom and depravity that’ll soon corrupt the unsuspecting ride-share driver. However, there’s a lot more to expect in Fox Hunt Drive than just an innocent driver and a nefarious passenger. Some unconvincing conveniences aside, this is a vastly effective thriller that exercises the element of surprise.