Dawn – Movie Review
Director: Nicholas Ryan
Writer: Ryder Doupe, Dawson Doupe, Todd Tapper (Screenplay)
Cast
- Jackie Moore (Pernicious)
- Jared Cohn (Minutes to Midnight)
- Sarah French (Death Count)
- Eric Roberts (The Dark Knight)
- Michael Pare (Gone)
Plot: A unsuspecting couple get into a ride-share only to find out that they may have to fight for their lives as the deranged driver puts them through life and death situations.
Runtime: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Dawn starts as a couple Oliver (Cohn) and Anna (French) are waiting for an uber, which never arrives. They search for another ride when Dawn (Moore) arrives to offer the pair a ride back to their motel.
Soon after the ride starts, the couple discovers Dawn has her own motives for picking them. Dawn has her own plans for the couple, planning on making them the latest victims on her dark web show.
Verdict on Dawn
Characters
Dawn is the driver that picks the couple up, offering them a chance to get to the motel. She comes off odd but offers what the couple needs. However, she has her own plans for the couple, having her own following on the dark web for her violence.
Anna and Oliver are a couple looking to return to their motel. Travelling they don’t know the area that well and have turned to the apps to help them. they are placed into the twisted game, where they must reveal their secrets to be punished for.
Performances
Jackie Moore does a great job as the twisted driver, she makes her comfortable feel odd while having confidence in the interactions. Jared Cohn and Sarah French as the victims have moments to shine, with their stories, but never feel as scared as they could be.
Story
The story follows a couple that get taken by a deranged app driver and placed into a twisted game for her audience. The pair must reveal secrets as they learn how much risk has been placed upon their battle to survive.
This is an interesting idea, as we have seen the taxi driver figure taking people hostage before. It works well and makes for an easy routine for the killer to pick up victims. The jarring rules getting revealed through the film make up most of the next chapters. Proving the killer is prepared for anything, having been part of this hunting process for a while now. There are plenty of moments that feel like ‘Creep’ including how calm it all starts out as.
In the end, the story doesn’t quite feel as intense as it could do. The victims have a twisted tale of why they could be guilty, that makes them feel targeted, not random. It is, however, a tidy story that puts the idea of the random app life riding service in the horror spotlight.
Themes
Dawn is a horror-thriller that uses the enclosed space of a ride-share to create the horrors of being trapped during the night. The escape could mean being shot, so they must remain calm in the car. The intensity isn’t as high as it could be, as it would feel like they are being forced into a twisted game. Which the other clips of previous encounters show. It never feels like life and death for the couple.
Where to Watch: Dawn is available on VOD from the 2nd of August
Final Thoughts –Dawn is a tidy thriller, with a twisted villain you want to see more from.
