WHAT’S IT ABOUT
A reformed teenage getaway driver is dragged back into her unsavoury past when a former employer offers her an opportunity to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Every so often, the unsung best movies come into your life when you aren’t expecting them to. This is the case for Eenie Meanie, which hit Hulu with little fanfare, but don’t mistake that for just another boring action movie. This surprise heist movie is much better than most of the gigantic budget movies that are coming to theaters these days, and has more heart and thrills. The movie is about Edie, played by Samara Weaving, who is trying to leave behind her life of crime. She was once the best getaway driver who would no question be there to help, but now Edie is working at a bank, going to college, looking to be normal, etc. That throws it all down the drain when Edie’s ex-boyfriend, John, comes back into her life in a world of hurt. John owes three million dollars to Nico, a dangerous crime boss who happens to be Edie’s former employer. When Nico discovers Edie helped John escape from his goons, he gives her an ultimatum that’s impossible to refuse: help steal the money from a high-stakes poker tournament, or watch John die. Even though John is clearly a complete disaster of a human being, Edie can’t just let him get murdered. What makes this movie work so well is how it balances ridiculous action with genuine emotion. Director Shawn Simmons, who wrote for shows like The Continental and Wayne before making his first feature film, knows exactly what kind of story he wants to tell. He isn’t attempting to revitalize the heist genre or impress anyone with creative twists. He is only trying to make every car chase feel exciting and every character moment authentic. He has 100% of the scene when Weaving is involved in it. She takes Edie and brings physicality and nuance to the character, so that it becomes completely believable that she can outrun a full police force and make quick decisions under pressure. And she exposes the vulnerability and frustration towards being pulled back into a world of which she wants desperately to escape. It is the type of performance that reminds you some actors just have that “thing.” While Garciao is engaging and entertaining, the supporting players are also solid. Andy Garcia plays Nico in a way that has a fabulous dynamic. By balancing charm and threat so deftly, you realize exactly why people work for him and fear him. Jermaine Fowler is great as “The Chaperone,” the architect of the casino job. He brings humor and style into the scheme to make him the best part of several scenes. Even Marshawn Lynch, the former NFL superstar, steals a scene in his brief role as Perm, a rival driver who complicates everything. Karl Glusman plays John, and honestly, he deserves some kind of award for making a character so utterly frustrating that you spend the entire film waiting to shake him. John makes bad decisions at every turn, lies to everyone around him, acts like a spoiled child even while folks are literally trying to save his life, and to top it off, it works for the story because Edie’s loyalty is both charming and completely insane. The action sequences are where Eenie Meanie really succeeds. Simmons and his team built their car chases around real driving instead of computer effects, and you can feel the difference in every turn and crash. The stunts feel dangerous but believable, like something that could actually happen if someone with Edie’s skills got behind the wheel. The final chase through Toledo’s streets is particularly impressive, with Weaving doing much of the driving herself after learning how during production. Setting the movie in Cleveland and the surrounding areas was a smart choice that helps it stand out from other heist films. The mix of suburban neighborhoods and old industrial buildings gives everything a gritty, lived-in feeling that matches Edie’s background perfectly. She comes from this world of struggling working-class families and broken systems, so her skills make sense in context. The movie does stumble occasionally. At points, the dialogue feels forced, as if the filmmakers had to get the information out quickly without worrying about sounding natural. Some of the supporting characters are underdeveloped and have little screen time, while others should have been edited out completely. The tone fluctuates sometimes between comedy and drama, making for awkward transitions. But these problems don’t sink the movie because Simmons keeps everything moving at just the right pace. At 94 minutes, Eenie Meanie never overstays its welcome or gets bogged down in unnecessary details. The heist itself isn’t overly complicated, which makes sense since these aren’t master criminals planning the perfect crime. They are everyday people making desperate decisions and trying to hope for the best. What makes this film so unique is the depth of care for its protagonist. Edie is not simply some cool action hero who looks cool driving a fast car; she is a real person with real issues and a real, sincere hope, who is constantly dragged back into destructive situations that threaten the very thing she is attempting to achieve.
OUR RATING – A WILD RIDE 7