WHEELMAN

US, 2017, 82 minutes, Colour.
Frank Grillo, Caitlin Carmichael, Garrett Dillahunt, Shea Whigham, Wendy Moniz- Grillo.
Directed by Jeremy Rush.

Wheelman is something of a cinematic tour-tdeforce. Most of the action takes place in a car with much of the dialogue from phone calls. (There could be some parallels with the British film, Locke, with Tom Hardy also in a car for the duration of the film in the same kind of phone contact and dialogue.)

The premise is basic, a driver gets out of jail, is in debt, takes on a job to drive robbers to a bank, drives away, thinks he has a contract but finds there are complications with his contact, Clay (Garrett Dillahunt) and receives messages from two contacts each with contradictory messages, wanting the money.

There are complications with his 13-year-old daughter, his time with her, her being at home, as well as with his ex-wife.

The film takes place in real time, the camera in the car, angles on the driver himself, looking through the windscreen, the camera looking out the back window as the boot is opened and the stolen money counted.

Frank Grillo is Wheelman, an intense performance for an intense situation. His wife plays his ex-wife.

But the daughter and ex-wife become involved in the action, Wheelman needing to save them and shrewd enough to set up a situation where he can do that.

A first feature film, after short films and television episodes, from writer-director, Jeremy Rush.


1. Small-budget action film? Short running time? Action taking place over real-time?

2. The title, the central character, his job, his driving skills?

3. The city setting, the streets, shops, sidewalks? Banks? Parking lots? The musical score?

4. The filming within the car, the close-ups of Wheelman, the different angles, looking out the windscreen? Wheelman at the boot of the car, the camera looking through the back window? The audience in the car, with the driver, his perspective? The action sequences and the driving, the outside of the car? Other cars, pursuits, crashes? Katie and Wheelman’s home car? Her driving?

5. The situation, Wheelman’s arrival, the commission, picking up his passengers, their talk, insults, dropped the bank, the robbery seen from outside, the getaway?

6. The commission, Wheelman paying a debt after years in prison? The anonymous voices on the phone? Clay as the contact? The screenplay of phone calls? Clay and his absence, messages, return calls? The anonymous contact? The alternate anonymous contact? The orders, contradictory?

7. Wheelman ousting the two robbers? Continuing driving, the messages, picking up Clay, the arguments, the mystery, the gun, Clay shot? Wheelman leaving his body on the street?

8. The contact with Katie, her age, the boy at home with her, his leaving, Katie alone, her father’s weekend? The ex-wife? The phone calls, the growing desperation, getting Katie to drive the car to meet him at the car park? His ex-wife’s annoyance? Her being taken? The crashes, the drive-by shootings? Wheelman going to the car park, meeting Katie, getting his car, the driving, her fear? Her wanting to know what happened? Wheelman urging her to leave, her driving, but going to the exit, watching what happened? Able to pick up her father, drive him? His cropping her for her mother, the outside look at their reconciliation?

9. The issue of the money, Wheelman counting it, the thieves, the various authorities on the phone? Wheelman and his shrewdness, negotiating his wife’s release, offering the money, the blowtorch, his escape? His arrival of the rendezvous? Handing over the money?

10. The blood, had he been shot? Watching his wife and daughter together again? The film ending – was he wounded, would he die, would he live?