CERT: TBC / FORMAT: DIGITAL, DVD / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 19TH (DVD)
It’s the zombie apocalypse (because of course it is) and a small community continue their daily struggle to maintain a life that’s worth living. Among them is The Driver (Mark Dacascos), an ex-assassin who has settled down with his wife Sharon and daughter Bree, doing his best to turn his back on the violent life he once knew while still protecting the ones he loves. Then, when the settlement is suddenly overrun, The Driver grabs his daughter and runs, hoping to find the fabled sanctuary that could keep the one thing he loves more than anything safe from harm.
Let’s get one thing straight: this writer loves Mark Dacascos. One of the nicest guys in Hollywood and a damn find martial artist to boot. He’s made some great movies and put in some star turns along the way. I love him! Which is why this is so hard… because The Driver is just awful. At the top of the list of travesties is the concept. When The Walking Dead consistently proves itself to be the gold standard in zombie storytelling, anything else zombie-related has to really bring its A-game… something that cannot be said of The Driver. With a plot mostly pilfered from 2017’s Cargo and a budget lower than Dacascos’ slipping standards, this slow-moving, cheap-looking movie has very little going for it. Then there’s the acting. Bless Dacascos’ heart, he’s brought in his real-life wife (Julie Condra) and daughter (Noelani Dacascos) to play his on-screen counterparts and while Condra holds up well, with so much narrative emphasis on his daughter, it’s impossible to ignore her distracting lack of acting ability.
With not enough meat on its bones to fill a zombie’s rotting stomach and hilarious panda-eyed walking dead providing more laughs than scares, The Driver doesn’t even get off the starting line, let along enter the race.
Extras include a behind the scenes featurette which is just heartbreaking as Dacascos enthuses about having his daughter on board and how much he loved the script. We can only assume that director Wych Kaosayananda has something on him.
