Film FestivalMovie Review

Film Review: THE ACCIDENTAL GETAWAY DRIVER: Sing J. Lee’s Film is a Dark Story of Redemption with Fine Acting [Sundance 2023]

Dustin Nguyen Hiep Tran Nghia The Accidental Getaway Driver

The Accidental Getaway Driver Review

The Accidental Getaway Driver (2023) Film Review from the 46th Annual Sundance Film Festival, a movie directed by Sing J. Lee, written by Christopher Chen and Sing J. Lee and starring Hiep Tran Nghia, Dustin Nguyen, Dali Benssalah, Phi Vu, Gabrielle Chan, Vivien Ngo, Sharon Sharth, Travon McCall, Edward Singletary, Ray Kam, Tiffany Rothman, Valeria Sweet and Cathy Vu.

Director Sing J. Lee’s dark drama, The Accidental Getaway Driver, is a well-crafted story of a kidnapping gone awry that will change the lives of the film’s central characters forever. While the movie’s premise is definitely intriguing, the movie is special thanks to the two central lead performances in the film by Hiep Tran Nghia and Dustin Nguyen whose characters form a bond that will move the audience but not before some very disturbing scenes with the lead character forced to try to use his wits to survive under the uncomfortable circumstances he finds himself immersed in.

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Hiep Tran Nghia stars in the picture as Long, an aging Vietnamese taxi cab driver who is not interested in driving for the rest of the night until he takes on a pick-up that will supposedly pay him double the regular rate. Three guys get into his car and Long ends up with a gun pointed at him as his passengers demand that he take them wherever they need to go. One scene in the film has Long going to a motel to ask for a room at the request of his kidnappers. Although Long asks for help the best and most discrete way he can, he is unable to communicate effectively to the clerk at the motel.

It turns out the three men who have kidnapped Long have escaped from an Orange County prison. Dustin Nguyen portrays Tây, the most developed character of the three kidnappers. Aden (Dali Benssalah) is the most unpredictable and violent of the trio while Phi Vu’s Eddie is underdeveloped despite Vu’s adequate performance.

Tây and Long form a bond during the latter stages of the movie which is surprisingly moving. The film juxtaposes the character of the cab driver to the kidnappers and as the movie progresses, we find out that underneath it all, Long and Tây may have more in common than they originally seemed to. Long’s family is brought into the picture as well when we learn a bit about Long’s troubled past.

Tension builds as the movie slowly picks up speed as plot developments unfold. Aden doesn’t seem to have the respect for Long that Tây learns to develop for the older gentleman which puts Long’s life in jeopardy. It seems that the three kidnappers will change the whole course of their journey as the movie progresses and difficult choices must be made.

Although the beginning of the film sets the stage for a story of good vs. bad, there is a lot of complexity in terms of the characterizations in the movie, particularly those of Long and Tây who play off each other with great intensity. We don’t really know at first if Long opens up to the kidnappers to try to see if they will release him or because he is alone and needs an ear to listen to his own story.

Nghia turns in a performance of the highest caliber despite his minimal dialogue in the picture. It’s easy to feel for the character’s predicament and as we discover his past and his humanity, it becomes very hard to predict what will happen in the story the movie presents. Nghia adds a considerable amount of depth to his role through his body movements and facial expressions which help make up for the lack of dialogue. Nguyen is amazingly rich and detailed playing Tây. We understand his own needs and the past which he has lived that has led him up to the scenario the film details throughout. Tây doesn’t want to go back to jail and will have to make choices that will test his morals, however deep within him they are. Will he be able to find some sort of redemption within?

To Benssalah’s credit, his performance works for the movie. He doesn’t have many morals and it’s hard to predict what Aden will do in any given moment. Aden is on the edge of sanity and Benssalah portrays him well. When he holds a gun towards Long in a cave, it becomes a moment of high intensity for the viewer.

While The Accidental Getaway Driver is layered and moving, it is also a bit slight on plot especially in the beginning stages of the movie. If the picture found its center in the editing room, it may have been possible to eliminate 10 to 15 minutes of repetitive early scenes within the picture. These flaws hardly lessen the power of the concluding scenes of the movie, though. Sing J. Lee has created a film that will take some time to warm up to in the initial stages. By the film’s end, it is well worth the investment thanks to the fascinating performances by Nghia and Nguyen.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Thomas Duffy

Thomas Duffy is a graduate of the Pace University New York City campus and has been an avid movie fan all of his life. In college, he interviewed film stars such as Minnie Driver and Richard Dreyfuss as well as directors such as Tom DiCillo and Mark Waters. He is the author of nine works of fiction available on Amazon. He's been reviewing movies since his childhood and posts his opinions on social media. You can follow him on Twitter. His user handle is @auctionguy28.
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