9 reviews
Too bad. I'm sure there's a good film that could be chiseled out of Black Cab, but that remains to be seen. Maybe in the hands of a better writer, editor and director, Black Cab could've been thrilling enough to warrant a sequel.
Atmospherically, the set designers got that right with their oodles of moody/rainy darkness. Where the film falls apart is in its unoriginality. You could see where the driver was heading from a mile away. There was also nothing new about the ghosts and there were too many loose ends to consider Black Cab complete.
The general acting ranged from okay to annoying. As a former taxi driver, I watched this movie based on its description alone without reading any reviews on IMDb. I should have next time.
Atmospherically, the set designers got that right with their oodles of moody/rainy darkness. Where the film falls apart is in its unoriginality. You could see where the driver was heading from a mile away. There was also nothing new about the ghosts and there were too many loose ends to consider Black Cab complete.
The general acting ranged from okay to annoying. As a former taxi driver, I watched this movie based on its description alone without reading any reviews on IMDb. I should have next time.
- redrobin62-321-207311
- Nov 8, 2024
- Permalink
If you're in the mood for a horror film that can't quite decide if it wants to terrify you with supernatural spooks or send a chill down your spine with a serial killer's knife, then "Black Cab" might just be your ride. Unfortunately, the film is a bit like a taxi that keeps circling the block without ever quite reaching its destination.
The plot centers around Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris), an estranged couple who, during a night out, find themselves at the mercy of a seemingly genial cab driver played by Nick Frost. As the evening takes an unnerving turn, the couple realizes they've been abducted and trapped on a remote, haunted road where the lines between the driver's dark motives and supernatural elements blur. What follows is a mix of psychological tension and paranormal confusion that leaves both the characters and audience guessing.
Frost's portrayal of the cab driver is one of the movie's biggest draws. Fans of his unique blend of humor and menace will appreciate his commitment to the role. He brings his usual wit while trying to wrap it in dread that spices up the film's first half, though his character never quite reaches its full potential. Despite Frost's best efforts, the script holds him back from transcending into the truly chilling villain the story needs. His performance wavers between sinister charm and overplayed ambiguity, resulting in a character that feels like a missed opportunity for horror greatness.
Goggins' direction is atmospheric, particularly in the way he captures the claustrophobic, isolated road setting, utilizing fog-drenched landscapes and eerie silences to ramp up suspense. However, this careful crafting is somewhat undercut by a plot that cannot decide whether it wants to be a paranormal ghost story or a gritty tale of abduction and human depravity. The film oscillates between these two horror subgenres without committing to either, leaving viewers with a sense of narrative whiplash.
The pacing suffers as a result, with the first half filled with promise and taut, well-measured suspense, while the second half devolves into a somewhat chaotic scramble of revelations that don't fully deliver. I found myself nodding off at times, because there is just a lot of driving down a dark road throughout the film.
In the end, "Black Cab" is a film that will intrigue those who enjoy layered suspense and are fans of Nick Frost's distinctive approach to dark roles. Certainly an ok one time watch.
The plot centers around Anne (Synnøve Karlsen) and Patrick (Luke Norris), an estranged couple who, during a night out, find themselves at the mercy of a seemingly genial cab driver played by Nick Frost. As the evening takes an unnerving turn, the couple realizes they've been abducted and trapped on a remote, haunted road where the lines between the driver's dark motives and supernatural elements blur. What follows is a mix of psychological tension and paranormal confusion that leaves both the characters and audience guessing.
Frost's portrayal of the cab driver is one of the movie's biggest draws. Fans of his unique blend of humor and menace will appreciate his commitment to the role. He brings his usual wit while trying to wrap it in dread that spices up the film's first half, though his character never quite reaches its full potential. Despite Frost's best efforts, the script holds him back from transcending into the truly chilling villain the story needs. His performance wavers between sinister charm and overplayed ambiguity, resulting in a character that feels like a missed opportunity for horror greatness.
Goggins' direction is atmospheric, particularly in the way he captures the claustrophobic, isolated road setting, utilizing fog-drenched landscapes and eerie silences to ramp up suspense. However, this careful crafting is somewhat undercut by a plot that cannot decide whether it wants to be a paranormal ghost story or a gritty tale of abduction and human depravity. The film oscillates between these two horror subgenres without committing to either, leaving viewers with a sense of narrative whiplash.
The pacing suffers as a result, with the first half filled with promise and taut, well-measured suspense, while the second half devolves into a somewhat chaotic scramble of revelations that don't fully deliver. I found myself nodding off at times, because there is just a lot of driving down a dark road throughout the film.
In the end, "Black Cab" is a film that will intrigue those who enjoy layered suspense and are fans of Nick Frost's distinctive approach to dark roles. Certainly an ok one time watch.
- nERDbOX_Dave
- Nov 8, 2024
- Permalink
British indie horror can sometimes be a bit hit and miss. This one is fairly middle of the road.
Nick Frost plays his part well. Equal parts troubled, scared, creepy and even endearing. He steals the show for me although Synnove Karlsen puts in a decent turn.
The movie plays on classic haunted highway ghost stories and has some creepy moments. Theres an interesting angle about how vulnerable we really are in a cab driven by someone we know nothing about but that isn't really the purpose of the story, although the depth in Frost's performance did make me think.
Shot in the dark and taking place in a single night with a significant proportion inside a London cab, there's some good use of light. A couple of jump scares and some creepy exposition delivered nicely by Frost give the film just enough atmosphere to keep you engaged.
My favourite part was the ending which is a little ambiguous and probably open to some interpretation.
Overall though I thought it was pretty average fare.
Nick Frost plays his part well. Equal parts troubled, scared, creepy and even endearing. He steals the show for me although Synnove Karlsen puts in a decent turn.
The movie plays on classic haunted highway ghost stories and has some creepy moments. Theres an interesting angle about how vulnerable we really are in a cab driven by someone we know nothing about but that isn't really the purpose of the story, although the depth in Frost's performance did make me think.
Shot in the dark and taking place in a single night with a significant proportion inside a London cab, there's some good use of light. A couple of jump scares and some creepy exposition delivered nicely by Frost give the film just enough atmosphere to keep you engaged.
My favourite part was the ending which is a little ambiguous and probably open to some interpretation.
Overall though I thought it was pretty average fare.
- davidwalker-94471
- Nov 7, 2024
- Permalink
I read the very short synopsis and the story grabbed my attention. So I watched it. All seemed good and the story was going smoothly until it started turning into a bit of a Twin Peaks, extremely confusing in other words!
I was surprised to see Nick Frost cast in a serious/psychopathic role. It was like Kevin James giving a surprising performance in Becky. Both comedians and both did quite well playing serious roles.
Like I said this movie began to go all over the place three-quartres into it. It was very confusing towards the end.
I could not make anything out of it. Was it supposed to be a horror Groundhog Day movie? Was it supposed to be like Ryde?
There was nothing wrong with the performane of the cast. But the story and moreover the ending seriously disappointed me! I suspect the person who posted the first contribution must be one of the producers or someone somehow connected to the movie.
I was surprised to see Nick Frost cast in a serious/psychopathic role. It was like Kevin James giving a surprising performance in Becky. Both comedians and both did quite well playing serious roles.
Like I said this movie began to go all over the place three-quartres into it. It was very confusing towards the end.
I could not make anything out of it. Was it supposed to be a horror Groundhog Day movie? Was it supposed to be like Ryde?
There was nothing wrong with the performane of the cast. But the story and moreover the ending seriously disappointed me! I suspect the person who posted the first contribution must be one of the producers or someone somehow connected to the movie.
- haroot_azarian
- Nov 7, 2024
- Permalink
- kevin_robbins
- Nov 8, 2024
- Permalink
This whole thing reads like someone's first draft of a "spooky cab driver" story, complete with the level of creativity usually reserved for dollar-store Halloween decorations. Halfway through, I started wondering if *Black Cab* was just an experiment to see how long audiences will tolerate endless scenes of "ominous rain" before they tap out. Spoiler: I stayed too long.
Every time you think they might finally say something interesting, it's like they remembered their budget only covers "vague threats and fog." If they were aiming for psychological complexity, they missed the mark and landed somewhere closer to unintentional comedy.
There's no suspense here, only a slow, joyless crawl through every horror cliché in the book, and if that's not depressing enough, the scariest part of Black Cab is realizing it convinced anyone that this ride was worth the fare. A full refund, please-or better yet, pay me back for the lost brain cells.
Every time you think they might finally say something interesting, it's like they remembered their budget only covers "vague threats and fog." If they were aiming for psychological complexity, they missed the mark and landed somewhere closer to unintentional comedy.
There's no suspense here, only a slow, joyless crawl through every horror cliché in the book, and if that's not depressing enough, the scariest part of Black Cab is realizing it convinced anyone that this ride was worth the fare. A full refund, please-or better yet, pay me back for the lost brain cells.
- augusteveningtime
- Nov 12, 2024
- Permalink
I'm convinced that film makers either don't know what running water sounds like , or need to convince the audience that there is "actually water in a scene " in the opening scene the basin tap runs for about 5 mins .. why ... well that's what people do when looking at their jewelry ... nope .. nope no one does that ... ever ffs.i need to make this 600 words so here some more , why when they fill a jug of water , or a glass of water in films , not this one in general but all movies make the sounds of water going into the glass 100 times louder than the dialogue .. again who are they trying to convince .. yes we get it water , there's water in the glass now .. oh and it's almost full so we're changing the sound slightly ... but it's the sound of a bottle being filled not a glass ... but you won't notice dear viewer , because you don't know what water sounds like ... do you .. ok that's at-least 600 words.
- duckytheplumber
- Nov 12, 2024
- Permalink
- ferguson-6
- Nov 6, 2024
- Permalink
- ladymidath
- Nov 9, 2024
- Permalink