We often hear the phrase “life dealt someone a bad hand”. It’s a very common sentence that aptly describes a person who’s had it rough in their lifetime, with circumstances outside of their control keeping them down. In Adam Marino’s The Ride, this is very nearly taken literally as the director takes a closer look at a young woman who finds herself in an impossible situation.
Life just seems to have it out for poor Angela (Savanah Joeckel), as her harsh childhood and turbulent adult life are thrown for a loop. Dropped off at a Catholic school as a child, Angela’s time there is shown to have been anything but pleasant. Verbal and physical abuse from her nun teachers is commonplace, with her only support coming from the kind Father Matthew (Dean Phillippi Sr.). Angela doesn’t seem to be doing that much better when we catch up with her in the present. Though the story jumps timelines about twice in the opening segment, it becomes clear that she’s on the brink of collapse. Pregnant and making due with the journey to motherhood with her partner, Laz Jones (Mark Justice), she is in a state of total imbalance. Everything gets flipped upside down when she mistakenly causes a fatal accident, fleeing the scene in hopes of avoiding charges.
In its best moments, The Ride boasts the type of tension you could cut with a knife, especially during the accident and in its immediate aftermath. The screenplay by Joe Costa, Denise Carey-Costa, Patrick Moore, and Adam Ninyo, presents this gruesome predicament for Angela to experience, and Joeckel, to her credit, gives it her all. The film is an emotional gauntlet for her, one she must complete in one long night of conversation and contemplation. Each interaction is another challenge and adds a new layer to her personality. From a diner where she meets the welcoming Paulie Amato (played by veteran standout Paul Sorvino), to a heated confrontation with her violent employer Mr. Epps (Emre Orun), it’s an out-of-control affair for Angela. Sorvino definitely stands out from the ensemble, adding warmth and nuance to a role that’s given mere minutes for him to shine.
On paper, the film has all the makings of a very sophisticated thriller. While it does demand some suspension of disbelief, the concept is rightfully concerned with the mind of a troubled individual looking for some semblance of stability. Marino’s skill in conveying such a struggle is evident in a handful of scenes where Angela is by her lonesome, yet the connective tissue in-between feels lackluster.
Joeckel herself is clearly trying her hardest to be convincing but comes across as wooden during the more melodramatic sequences. One might also get the sense that The Ride is unfinished, and this feeling persists throughout the 88-minute runtime. There are numerous issues with the soundtrack overshadowing spoken words or dialogue out of sync, or jumping around in volume throughout (expect some ridiculously processed dialogue through phones and flashbacks). It doesn’t help that a handful of performances are shoddy at best, particularly in the first few minutes when Angela’s backstory is being established. Encounters are plagued with awkward blocking, particularly the showdown with Mr. Epps that is staged like a Bruce Lee parody movie.
Most interestingly, though, the filmmakers don’t seem to pick sides when it comes to Angela. Her life story suggests sympathy, while her actions should definitely warrant swift justice. Perhaps it’s something the creators should have addressed by taking a side, but as the final act suggests, it’s very much up in the air. At the very least, it leaves the audience with some food for thought by the end.
