‘Midnight Taxi’ VOD Review
Stars: Ladi Emeruwa, Amerjit Deu, Charlotte Price, Nathan Turner, Jamie B. Chambers | Written and Directed by Bertie Speirs, Samantha Speirs
A new neo-noir from England, Midnight Taxi is the story of Eddie (Ladi Emeruwa; Hearts & Minds, Berlin Station) a London cab driver whom we first meet debating the pros and cons of ride-share services with an investigative reporter and regular customer, Adam (Amerjit Deu; Star Cops, Mob Handed) who sees them as an alternative to the monopoly held by licensed cabs. It’s a fun back-and-forth that establishes his intelligence as he defends his occupation.
From that and other interactions with his passengers, he seems like a friendly, personable guy, well suited to dealing with the public, and happy with his job. But, like many third-shift workers, he has problems sleeping during the day and occasionally needs to grab a nap while working. And then one night, in the twenty minutes he’s asleep, somebody dumps the bound corpse of a local prostitute in front of his taxi.
Co-writers and directors Bertie Speirs (50 Kisses) and Samantha Speirs, who plays the murdered woman, use this as a jumping-off point for Eddie’s journey into the literal and figurative night. Equally frustrated by the police’s seeming apathy and lack of progress and shocked by the press’s lack of interest in a sensational story, he begins his own investigation. Unfortunately, much of what he finds out points to the possibility he is the killer.
Shot guerilla style with multiple Sony a7s III cameras, Midnight Taxi’s look caught my attention almost immediately. Bertie Speirs also handled the cinematography, and much of the film takes place in Eddie’s cab, edited together from cameras smartly placed around it. They’re complimented by some eye-catching shots of London by night. From a technical standpoint, it’s a great example of what can be done by a small crew on a tight budget.
From a plot perspective, Midnight Taxi has a more familiar feel to it, with Adam as the fish who seems to be very much out of water as he tries to navigate London’s red light district and find the killer. There are the usual supporting characters, Adam who tells him how to investigate a story and shares things he’s heard, there’s Rachel (Charlotte Price; Boudica: Queen of War, Acceptable Damage) who knocks on his cab’s window asking if he wants some company, and Detective Donovan (Nathan Turner; Johnno’s Dead, Vinland Saga) who seems obsessed with pinning the crime on Eddie.
The script gives us reason to believe he might be right, however. Eddie has nightmares that seem to indicate he knows more about the crime than he says, he also starts sleepwalking for the first time in years. Add in a couple of revelations about his past, and suddenly he starts looking a lot less like a nice guy and a lot more like a suspect. However an encounter with a belligerent fare jumper (Jamie B. Chambers; One Shot, Morris Men) who pulls a knife on him might contradict that as well.
Midnight Taxi’s small cast are good in their roles, which, considering it’s a dialogue-driven noir mystery rather than a more action-oriented thriller. Ladi Emeruwa, whose credits include voice work on several video games, does well as the protagonist who may also be the antagonist. Charlotte Price does well opposite him, playing a woman whose life may depend on correctly deciding if she can trust him or not.
The result is an enjoyable mystery that, while it doesn’t do anything groundbreaking, does manage to deliver a few unexpected twists and a nicely staged finale. If you’re in the mood for a mystery, Midnight Taxi makes a good choice.
*** 3/5
Midnight Taxi is available on Digital and VOD Platforms now.
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