As a kid, I was explicitly taught that getting into a car with a stranger was a huge no-no. As a 26-year-old, I do it almost daily: Ride share apps like Uber and Lyft are inexpensive ways to navigate Los Angeles without having to engage in the frustrating quest for parking. I don't ever consider "stranger danger" in my ride share travels, but this new movie might make me reconsider my favorite mode of transportation.
According to Deadline, Bella Thorne will star in Ride, an upcoming thriller that puts an unnamed ride share app at the center of the action. Per the report, the new movie is about a passenger Jessica (Thorne) and driver James (Jessie T. Usher) who have a really bad time after picking up the "charismatic but manipulative" Bruno (Will Brill) during what appears to be an "Uber Pool" or "Lyft Line"-type situation.
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(Refinery29 has reached out to popular ride share apps Uber and Lyft for comment on the film, which, as far as we know, does not use the name of either company.)
Apparently, "charismatic but manipulative" is just code for psychopath, because, thanks to Bruno, the ride soon becomes a "war for survival."
Will James survive long enough to give Bruno a 1-star passenger rating? If prison isn't in the cards, the very least James can do is make sure no other drivers pick up the dude.
For many people (this writer included), ride sharing is a part of everyday life. It's no wonder that a horror film about what happens when it goes wrong is headed our way. Horror often plays on our fears of the unknown, so if you've ever had the paranoid thought that the person getting in an Uber Pool after you was a bonafide serial killer, well...this movie will do the opposite of calming those nerves.
It's worth noting that, while Uber and Lyft both perform background checks on its drivers, it's other passengers who are the biggest question marks. In reality, this kind of "stranger danger" isn't actually very different from sharing a bus or other mode of public transportation with a slew of unknown persons. Still, we're all extra vulnerable (or at least feel that way) when in the car with a bunch of strangers — and that concept just might make Ride the scariest flick of the year.
Ride hits theaters and video-on-demand this fall.