Written and directed by Sofie Somoroff, after an unbearably creepy negotiation with some skeevy car guys, a mechanic has to fight off a demonic monster inhabiting her dream 1978 Camaro. Starring: Celina Bernstein, Anthony Richard Pagliaro and Sam H. Clauder II.
Kicking things off with a very action-styled super close-up of an engine, Sofie Somoroff leaves her audience unsure where she’s going with this, in a great way. That peaking of your curiosity then leads nicely into its tensely evolving atmosphere. Somoroff creates a fascinating mix of tones, it moves through discomfort and danger but it constantly holds onto this edge of satire. It’s tackling a serious topic but never takes itself too seriously, which allows it to feel more natural, even though its possessed pony is far from reality, thankfully.
Horror is always a great way to explore social issues and very real dangers in a creative way, which is exactly what Somoroff achieves. Trying to instil a larger message into a story like this is something that filmmakers often fall short with, it’s a difficult challenge but Somoroff was up to the task. The allegory and portrayal of how misogynist culture breeds and infects others works very well, you don’t have to dig for it but it’s also not overly simple.
Part of how Ride Baby Ride manages to create that balance and confidence is the directorial style, you can feel all sorts of influences at work. There’s the obvious Christine which feeds into the horror, then there’s Titane which goes with the feminist theme of the film, but the tone that it builds also feels reminiscent of Quentin Dupieux. Mostly in the way it’s able to move outside of reality, to push the boundary without ever losing the quality to its characters or its hold on your attention.
That’s before you then add in its strong editing, cinematography and effects work, the minimal use of violence was a great choice. As well as that it has a palpable female perspective, which is still refreshing to see today. Celina Bernstein’s performance then brings everything together, it’s just the right amount of intense. She brings all the clever, capable and resilient qualities while also capturing the frustration and exasperation at a misogynistic world. Which is more impressive given that she’s imparting all of that while barely saying a handful of words.
Ride Baby Ride is a highly creative and enjoyable exploration of the typical harassment and danger that women face. Sofie Somoroff feels influenced by a lot of old-school and modern filmmakers which makes for a perfect blend of tones and styles. Celina Bernstein leads the way with a relatable mix of toughness and tiredness against a world that sees women as objects. It has something to say but it doesn’t forget to have fun along the way.
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