Writer-director Michael Pierro’s debut thriller feature, Self Driver, was a festival favorite and won various awards. The film stars Nathanael Chadwick (The Last Porno Show), Reece Presley (In a Violent Nature), and Lauren Welchner (Faulein Cherie).
About: Self Driver follows a down-on-his-luck driver who, facing mounting expenses and the unrelenting pressure of modern living, is lured to a mysterious new app that promises fast and easy money. As his first night on the job unfolds, he is pulled ever deeper into the dark underbelly of society, embarking on a journey that will test his moral code and shake his understanding of what it means to have free will.
D (Nathanael Chadwick) is married and has a newborn. We learn this as he sits in his car in an empty parking lot, having a takeout meal. His phone begins to ring “off the hook” – one is a call from the “landlord” (he continues to ignore), and the other is his “Babe” and discusses the baby, plus, among other things, paying a bill. Yes, it’s pretty easy to figure out that the driver for a ridesharing app is having financial trouble, is unhappy, and needs to figure something out soon.
There are scenes of various customers in and out of his car while on shift. He has diverse riders (of all ages), and after watching them come and go, be loud, or simply annoying, it progressively became harder to watch. If I was willing to lower the volume, turn off the film, or even scream out loud, I could only imagine what the driver must have wanted to do. Chadwick excels in the performance as the challenges mount up.
When a customer offers D an opportunity to work and get paid well without providing much detail, it immediately sounds shady. D is smart enough to ask if the job is legal, and of course, the vague response is only to call him via the business card information. Fast money is not always easy money and often comes with strings attached. To avoid any spoilers, view the film to learn whether he frees himself from debt or how the strings get pulled.
The cinematography (also by Michael Pierro) appears very professional, especially in the very close-up shots of the protagonist and/or actors in the rear seat.
The film world premiered at the Fantaspoa – International Fantastic Film Festival, winning Best Film in the Low Budget, Great Films section and went on to play at Fantasia Festival where it won the New Flesh Award for Best First Feature, Grimmfest, taking home the award for Best Actor and receiving a Special Mention of the Jury for Best Director, Macabro Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror, MidWest WeirdFest, and Panic Fest.
The film is produced by Kire Paputts and Michael Pierro.
The film will be released on VOD on June 6, 2025.
Source: Cinephobia Releasing