Director: Richard Summers-Calvert
Writer: Richard Summers-Calvert (Screenplay)
Starring: Richard Summers-Calvert, Kate Lister, Tracey Wilkinson, Claire King, Bhasker Patel
Plot: ‘Drive Me to the End’ centers around Ryan and Sunny, estranged family members who find themselves car-sharing to a funeral in Scotland. With both Ryan dealing with the inevitable death of his mother and Sunny being on the Autism Spectrum, they only have 3 days to feel comfortable in each other’s company while feeling comfortable in their own skin.
Tagline – When driving to a funeral makes life worth living
Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: Charming
Story: Drive Me to the End starts as Ryan (Summers-Calvert) is preparing to attend a family funeral in Scotland, where his sick mother Louisa (Wilkinson) has arranged for him to travel there with a distant family member Sunny (Lister) a woman he doesn’t know.
The two must set off one of the most uncomfortable car journeys of their lives, as Ryan must learn to adapt to being around an autistic person, something he hasn’t ever done before, as the two spend more time together they become closer and start to enjoy the journey.
Thoughts on Drive me to the End
Characters – Ryan is the self-centred man that is looking forward to a weekend away for a funeral, looking forward to traveling alone, left with no option but to travel with a distant relative, he struggles at first to get to know them, but soon finds himself in a unique friendship position, one he hasn’t experienced in a long time. Sunny is the autistic distant family member who is traveling with Ryan, she does find it hard to get comfortable with him to start with, but soon comes out of her shell, when she feels safe around him. The two get to learn what it is like to be around someone new, someone they aren’t used to being around.
Performances – Richard Summers-Calvert is involved in everything here, from directing, writing and being a leading man, he is great in the leading role and shows great chemistry with Kate Lister who along with him is excellent in the leading role, the two are great to watch together in the film.
Story – The story here follows two distant family members that travel to a funeral, where they get to know each other and discovery how two people can get to know each other over one car journey. This is a story about discovering what is it like to meet someone new in life, it does show how someone new could help unlock pain that nobody else can help you release, it does show how people could also be blind to autism and how to act around an autistic person. It is told in a charming and enjoyable way.
Settings – The film is set on the road for the most part, we do see how the journey is completed with the two becoming friends, hitting major cities on the way up to Scotland.
Scene of the Movie – The hitchhiker.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – We could have learnt a little bit more about what Ryan was like before the journey.
Final Thoughts – This is a charming movie that shows the importance of family, friendship and learn about people who might be different to you.
Overall: Delightful.
