‘Delivery Run’ VOD Review
Stars: Alexander Arnold, Jussi Lampi, Liam James Collins, Arthur Sylense, Nadine Higgin, Jeremiah Crosby, Darren McStay, Celin El Azizi | Written by Joey Palmroos, Anders Holmes | Directed by Joey Palmroos
A hard-up food delivery driver finds himself fighting for his life when he makes an enemy of a murderous snowplough driver in snowy Minnesota. Save your Simpsons gags though, Delivery Run has heard them all before, and even comes armed with a pretty funny one of its own.
That’s perhaps the only area where Joey Palmroos’ serial killer thriller is ahead of the curve. Otherwise, it’s a snow-themed version of films like Duel and Joy Ride, substituting the truck for an, uh, snowplough. Among the film’s other influences, there’s an undeniable touch of The Hitcher and even Fargo, too, where its supporting cast of low-rent hoodlums, innocent bystanders and incompetent cops are concerned.
Lee (Alexander Arnold) is the unlucky schmuck caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, by Mr. Plow – that’s his name – the killer. Becoming the monster’s target after stumbling across one of his victims, Lee finds himself in a race for survival against a foe who’s far more equipped for the weather than he is.
Regardless of how familiar the terrain might be, it’s a fine conceit for a genre film. And Palmroos wrings plenty of tension from Lee’s plight, with a witty screenplay (co-written by Anders Holmes) keeping the young slacker on his toes. Arnold is a likeable presence as Lee, carrying the film through its slow setup period and into the action-packed finale.
There’s no faulting Delivery Run for ambition, then. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the budget to back up some of its bigger ideas, and those hoping for some spectacular vehicle-on-vehicle carnage may walk away disappointed by the lack of scale. Mr. Plow (that name again) is similarly unexplored, giving Jussi Lampi relatively little fun to have as the film’s villain. Lee’s scene-stealing goldfish, Reggie, gets to see more action.
Delivery Run is a taut, if slightly hamstrung thriller, packed with ideas but not always able to bring the goods where it really matters.
*** 3/5
Delivery Run is available on digital platforms now.
