In the vein of British chronicles of sadistic blokes who creep around the side alleys, winding streets, and dark corners of London, directors Bertie and Samantha Speirs’ thriller mystery Midnight Taxi captures a contemporary version of what could be a present-day Jack the Ripper serial killer, but with more sagacious twists and turns set in a stunning London at night.
A lonely graveyard shift taxi driver, Eddie Carter (Ladi Emeruwa), drives a modern-day electric vehicle but within the likes of the traditional British cab. He is an insomniac but one of order and routine. He has his regular pick-ups, including a family member, Rachel (Charlotte Price), whom he cares about, and a regular run-in with a cohort, Trevor (Eddie Eyre). As Eddie quietly drives around London’s dark and empty streets, you can feel how his nightly routine is tiresome, pulling into empty side street areas to nap. However, on one particular evening, he awakens and eyes a murdered prostitute.
Unable to let this moment rest as if his life has revived, Eddie embarks on an investigative mission to discover who, what, and how this murder happened. Unraveling a tale of the seedy, dark behavior of prostitutes, pimps, and unsavory characters that troll London’s underworld at night, Eddie cannot shake the fact that this woman has never been identified or mentioned in the newspapers.
“…on one particular evening, he awakens and eyes a murdered prostitute.”
Launching an amateur investigation, Eddie finds guidance from a regular passenger, Adam Blomfield (Amerjit Deu), a known writer, and learns a thing or two about crime-solving and how details can be easily misinterpreted, leading to second-guessing himself as he has a history of something bad, which is slowly revealed. He begins to feel unnerved as he gets threatened by the night walkers and sordid folks and even places cameras in his taxi.
Diving deeper into his psyche, it is established that Eddie is financially challenged and takes his life’s status on the chin from his passengers, especially those he knows.’ He begins to question if these constant criticisms and his murder investigation are taking hold of him in a sleep state as a potentially dangerous sleepwalker, which he learns is an uncommon scenario. His dreams and reality merge, or so he thinks. As the situation deepens, Eddie is questioned by Detective Donovan (Nathan Turner), and the events that have passed all come to the light of day.
The incredible attention to detail in Midnight Taxi drives its mystery and adds to the film’s tone, which Eddie carries without disruption. Masterful lighting and lighting design throughout the film is a mood enhancer where artificial light and the nature of night are odds similar to the struggles of Eddie and what is actually happening. In addition, the lack of sound or perimeter noise is an attractive, very psychologically-minded choice that also adds to Midnight Taxi’s allure.
Perhaps the omission of sound in Midnight Taxi draws one’s attention to the cerebral mystery of Eddie and his situation. Eddie hardly lives in daylight, and when home, it’s with blackout shades and a Murphy bed, which he pulls out of the wall—that somehow feels like an act that is a metaphor for sleeplessness. Well-acted and primarily believable, especially in the ins and outs of London, where most of the film takes place, Midnight Taxi is encapsulating and intriguing. Although it moves steadily for suspense, maybe a bit slow at times, the end is worth the wait.
"…Midnight Taxi is encapsulating and intriguing..."
