Written and directed by Jim Carlson, co-directed by Lauren Bond, an addict war veteran turned ride share driver tries to help a terrified passenger escape a human trafficking ring serving wealthy clients. Starring: Jim Carlson, Jennifer Bond, Michael Jai White, Dan Bakkedahl, Kate Duffy, Todd Jenkins, Cale Schultz and James Logan.
While stories of rescuing people from trafficking, drugs and kidnapping may be well travelled territory, Jim Carlson nicely adds a few of his own original touches. The key difference being the hero character, instead of being the upright cop or stereotypical white knight type, Jason (Carlson) is an addict, he’s flawed and messy, just trying to do the right thing. It’s a good change of pace, it allows the film to keep a humble note, something which films like this are so often desperately missing. The result of that is the film can also move more smoothly and convincingly.
Carlson also gives a great performance, he brings an organic feel to Jason, and the fact that he’s not irreproachable or perfectly upright, makes him easily relatable, and makes you want him to succeed and turn his life around. There’s a great cast alongside him, of course Michael Jai White doesn’t disappoint, and brings a grumbling but generous detective. Dan Bakkedahl makes for a great villain, he’s played similar roles in comedies but it’s unexpectedly fun to see him go full dark mode here and he’s good at it. Jennifer Bond also does well to not make Kristina simply feel like a victim and to give her strength and personality, which is more often than not another key problem with films like this, so it’s satisfying to see that avoided here.
Visually, it’s ticking the right boxes, the cinematography from Will Turner is good work, adding the right amount of grit without trying to manufacture it, embracing the night shoots. Carlson’s directorial style is relatively simple but it’s effective. However, it could have used some adjusting when it comes to Drive Through Fire’s action-driven scenes. They’re missing a punch or sharpness to really get the adrenaline flowing, especially as the violence is surprisingly minimal.
Drive Through Fire is one of those films which does what it says on the tin, you know what you’re getting, and it doesn’t disappoint. It’s not going to knock your socks off but at the same time, it’s reliable, solid entertainment. It’s shot well, there’s a good cast, and it has a surprisingly humble energy which is a great change of pace. There are enough touches to set it apart, even if it’s not completely rewriting the playbook, so if you’re a fan of action-thriller cinema, give this one a shot.
