Ryde (2017) Movie Review

Technology has connected us in many way, making any service we need just a click away, including taxi service with apps such as Lyft and Uber. Now, I’ve never used these services, and thanks to the movie Ryde, I probably never will. Ryde follows a serial killer who uses the Ryde app to pick up and kill his victims. 

Ryde was directed by Brian Visciglia (Malady 2017) from a script he wrote with Dustin Frost and Kat Silvia. The film stars David Wachs (Malady 2017), Jessica Serfaty, Ronnie Alvarez (Barrio Tales 2 2016), Kyle Thomas Schmidt (Malady 2017), Veronica Loren, Delpaneaux Wills (Halloweed 2016), Valerie Lynn Smith and Dylan Taylor.

A new ride share service app called RYDE is taking over what used to be the Taxi industry. It’s cheaper and has more of a “friend giving you a ride” type of feel. With so many people using this fun new platform, how safe is it? When a psychopath takes over the identity of a Ryde driver, everyone who uses this app will be at the mercy of this maniac. Getting a RYDE is as simple as a few clicks away, but getting out alive won’t be so easy.

What I Liked

I have to admit, when I first saw the trailer for Ryde, I wasn’t expecting much. I was wrong. Ryde is a solid and enjoyable serial killer horror film that works due the intense performance and brutal physicality of David Wachs as the killer. He comes off like your average guy before showing his dark side, which comes on rather suddenly and goes just as quickly, showing that his normal, calm demeanor is just a mask that covers the monster inside. There isn’t a whole lot of plot to speak of, as the movie is mostly Wachs’ character driving around, picking up fares, and killing them in increasingly brutal ways (including knives to the gut, strangulation, drownings and curb stompings). Jessica Serfaty provides a nice balance to this as Jasmine, the heroine of the film. She is one of the few likable characters in the film, which works wonders for making you care about her character.

What I Didn’t Like

We aren’t really given much to go on as to why Paul kills, other then he seems to enjoy it. His character is a blank slate with no real motivation. For some reason, he also seems to be protective of Jasmine, but this is quickly dropped altogether as the film nears its conclusion and it’s never really explained why he seems to care for her (he never really attacks her until she tries to escape). The climax is a little on the lackluster side but hints at a potential sequel, which I wouldn’t mind seeing, as long as we were given more development on who Paul is and why he does what he does, and not more of the same.

Final Thoughts

Ryde is a brutal yet enjoyable horror thriller that succeeds mostly due to an intense performance from David Wachs as the killer. The film features mean spirited kills, some T&A, and is a whole lot of fun. What more can you ask for? If you dig serial killer movies, give Ryde a shot.