Director: Jackie D Brown
Release date: 2024
Contains spoilers
This one really does contain spoilers. Midnight Feature is a short anthology series available via Amazon and this is the first episode of the first season. The twist at the very end is that a woman is a vampire and so, by dint of being here, the episode is spoiled – sorry. Getting to that denouement is not the best of journeys, I’m sorry to say, ironic as the episode is within the world of car shares.
The series is linked by a host, the Curator (John Potash), and the episode then goes into an advert for Friend Ships, a ride share company, highlighting “Captain” James (Joshua Myron McKinney). We are then with James (and we move into an unnecessary found footage mode) as he goes to work. A call from his girlfriend out of the way and he starts picking up rides.
 |
| ride share |
The section with him picking up rides is too long in a very short run time (29 minutes, including credits and series link) and does not offer any character development as James communicates in the absolute false language of the US service industry He eventually gets a ride with an attractive girl (Becca Anne) who puts bags in his boot. When at her destination, she is getting her bags when he gets a call from his girl, accusing him of cheating and dumping him. Without thinking he reverses, into the girl.
 |
| tied up |
Assuming she is dead, he sticks her in the boot and drives home to get a shovel. When he gets back to the boot he realises she is still alive and drags her into the garage and ties her up. When she comes round, she starts asking him to release her, her father is a powerful man and James will be in big trouble. He takes himself away for a moment and, within his angst, decides to kill and dispose of her but, as he is about to strike, a man (Michael Rock) with two bodyguards speaks. He soon allows his daughter to feast on James – and she codes as vampire.
 |
| vamped |
And that’s it – the biggest problem being the found footage is unnecessary and moves the film into too dark and too shaky territories. The other issue is the service-speak overwhelming any character development. It would have been better to move straight to her ride and then extend dialogue in the garage to build his character. Unfortunate. 3.5 out of 10.
The episode's imdb page is here.
On Demand @ Amazon US
On Demand @ Amazon UK
No comments:
Post a Comment