By Dan Skip Allen

I’ve been driving a car since I was like 20. I got a little of a late start. So I had to get a gas card and eventually a bank account. Using a gas card or debit card can be dangerous sometimes because if you go to the wrong gas station or store, your accounts can be hacked. There are people who do hacking for a living. They set up skimmers at arms and gas stations where people use their cards. “Wardriver” is a film about a guy who does this but not without the danger that comes with it. I know a guy who knows how to code. That’s what this guy does. This film shows a whole world about hacking and so forth. I didn’t know about it, but I do now.

Cole (Dane Dehaan) is a hacker who goes by “wrdrvr”. He’s small-time, but he goes around hacking businesses to get some cash. Just enough to live on and help his neighbor out who’s a struggling single mother. He robs a restaurant, Bambara, but the doorman notices him and comes to his house and shakes him down. He blackmails him into stealing 800 k from a woman named Sarah (Sasha Callie).The problem is that it’s not her money. The money belonged to a man who is very threatening and can hurt her. Cole starts a path down a rabbit hole that is going to be hard to come back from. Crime doesn’t pay.

This film has an intense storyline where you don’t know what is what and who is who. Dehaan’s character is caught in the middle between these people. He is trying to do the right thing but doesn’t necessarily know what he’s gotten himself into. It’s a cat and mouse game with the cheese being the most valuable thing for everyone. There are only four real characters in the story. They all interact with each other on various levels, but none of them want to back down in this situation. No one knows who’s got the upper hand. That’s what is the most interesting part about this story. They all have hidden backgrounds. Their secrets are what keeps them going.

Dehaan is an actor who came on the Hollywood scene at an early age in films like Chronicle, The Amazing Spider-Man 2, and Kill Your Darlings. He hasn’t been doing a lot lately, but when he chooses a project, it’s for a specific reason. They gave a story or character element he likes. He’s done some good television/streaming shows as well. This particular character and film, I’m sure, was a draw because of the relevance of the story and how technology has started taking over the world. He’s very good in the role and a protagonist that I could get behind. As he’s gotten older, he’s developed into a good actor. Part of it is because of the projects he’s chosen over the years. This is another one of those good films.

The director, Rebecca Thomas (Stranger Things, Archive 81), with writer Daniel Casey, has been able to take a relevant topic in society and format a fantastic thriller. Using an interesting techno score and a lot of driving around helped give the movie an intensity that it needed. As the story unfolds like an onion, she ramps up the tension. The twists and turns at every corner of the story help as she has created characters who the viewer can follow along with. These are all good characters that kept me interested in the film from beginning to end. It wasn’t boring.That’s all I can ask when it comes to a good movie. 

The cinematography of the film is a key to making the story flow. The driving around from place to place mostly at night. Hiding in the shadows in his car gave the movie a noir feeling to it. The lights from storefronts and traffic stops, door fonts, and neon signs alike.They all bring beauty to driving around hacking computers and servers. I wouldn’t have thought. The look of the film is a key to giving it the vibe the director was going for. It’s important to set an ambiance that the audience can be wowed by. This film does just that. I recognized that right away while watching it. Cinematography is an important thing in any film. It was a very important aspect in this one specifically. 

“Wardriver” is a movie that deals with a topic not seen in cinema that often. As someone who has been a victim of hacking, I can honestly say it’s not a fun experience to be a part of. It sucks because you have to renew your account. The story that revolves around hacking is the key to the film. The cast, specifically Dehaan, is good. They are all mainly supporting actors in other films the same with this one. Dehaan is the typical type for this story. He was well cast. The cinematography is amazing because of all the driving around. The city lights, storefronts, and stop lights help give an energy to the story it needed. This was surprisingly a good movie for me. It hit home.

3 stars