Rideshare Thriller Self Driver (PANIC) Explores a Not-So-Far-Away Future of Horror
Title: Self Driver
First Non-Festival Release: May 8, 2025 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)
Director: Michael Pierro
Writer: Michael Pierro
Runtime: 90 Minutes
Starring: Nathanael Chadwick, Adam Goldhammer, Catt Filippov
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Panic Film Festival in 2025.
Most people who’ve grown up without immense privilege know what it’s like to live in between paychecks. Many complicated emotions can arise from the throes of poverty, even those in the working class barely staying afloat. Humiliation, exhaustion, frustration. Not knowing what the next strike will be can make anyone break.
Strapped for cash as he battles the harsh realities of his soul-crushing ride-share job, D (Nathanael Chadwick) is reluctant to go home after failing to get enough money to cover his growing mass of expenses and unable to continue thanks to the app’s strict break policy. He decides to call one of his previous riders, a sleazy and mysterious man (Adam Goldhammer), to moonlight on his app that caters to a specific clientele. His first ride seems normal enough, but as the night goes on D is forced to contend with a series of increasingly disturbing asks. As his morality is questioned further, his paycheck grows bigger.
A dizzying descent into the realities of workers at the margins, Self Driver is a morality tale with a horrific twist.
The horror starts early in Self Driver, long before mentions of a seedy, underground app are brought to light. Life is crushing D from all sides. His phone is likely to go dark soon, he’s behind on rent, and whatever he does, he can’t seem to claw his way out of his ever-growing pile of debt. The creeping dread of his all too familiar experience makes the stakes of Self Driver relatable and personal. Work is Hell for so many, even in the West, despite what many who claim otherwise would say.
Self Driver works so well because of its obvious parallels to the exploitative nature of the gig economy. Forced to ignore the worst of humanity in the name of making a living, D is subject to abuse, threats, and plots to be implicated in the crimes of his passengers. Forced to sit there quietly and wait like a servant, D is faced with the impossible choice between his morals and his ability to survive. Even still, he is controlled every step of the way. The app’s omniscience extends beyond every wrong turn he takes, which loses him money, and forces him to partake in some of the crimes of his passengers.
A clear rebuke of the independent contractor model and hustle culture so ingrained in the modern economy, Self Driver leaves many answers to the question of what this methodical grind inevitably leads to in the end. Nothing is more evocative of this than the gaunt, dead eyed stare of a driver bracing to start his shift for the night, knowing he’ll trade part of his soul to put food on the table.
A relatable protagonist, if only because of his dire circumstances, D makes interesting choices throughout Self Driver that lead to a foregone conclusion. The audience understands fully why D stays as long as he does, even when his floundering costs him, literally and figuratively, throughout the night. His inability to quickly grapple with his reality is understandable and makes for a more realistic approach to this kind of story. Watching someone grappling with his gradually eroding moral compass makes for a compelling story, especially when he finds small ways to resist the app and his job.
While it does a great job of making the viewer care, Self Driver doesn’t do much in terms of delivering on its more haunting aspects. Most of D’s customers are various shades of despicable or unhinged, the thrills come more from waiting for D to make his next move. Grounded for most of the picture, the only moment where Self Driver really gets wild is its trippy drug sequence, which induces more laughs than anything. Never pushing the envelope beyond what is expected, the scenarios get too out of control, which makes the narrative tighter at the expense of its effectiveness.
There’s no winning in an economy that is determined to squeeze every last commodifiable drop out of its workers, and Self Driver explores why this is bad for everyone. The downfall of society comes in many forms, and the discomforting mundanity of the evil in Self Driver comes too close to home to ignore. Ripe with unsettling commentary and tense scenes, this indie gem does so much with so little. It won’t be for everyone but for those who are down: there’s an app for that.
Overall Score? 6/10
