By Mark Saldana
Rating: 3.5 (Out of 4 Stars)
Not since the movie King Kelly (SXSW Alum, 2012) have I seen a more modern style of filmmaking, besides the often frustrating found-footage horror film. 9 Rides takes place on a New Years Eve in the car of an Uber driver working the eventful night to make extra cash. Each ride he gives is different, each with its own unique characters. Some rides go more smoothly than others, and through each encounter, the Driver (Dorian Missick) reflects on the personal problems and issues in his own life.
Written and directed by Matthew Cherry, 9 Rides is probably the most remarkable film the festival has to offer this year. Completely shot on Iphones, filmmaking doesn’t get any more modern than this. During the introduction of his film, Cherry did mention that the festival print still had some technical glitches to fix and to be honest, I did find these issues distracting. Still, the excellent character development and superb performances by Missick and the entire cast make this a film one not to miss. If Cherry can fix his technical problems before a wider release, I would definitely consider giving the film a better rating. Nevertheless, my already positive rating should indicate that I am rather impressed with Cherry’s filmmaking skills and I definitely look forward to seeing more of his work.