‘The Accidental Getaway Driver’ Speeds To The Point [Sundance 2023

The Accidental Getaway Driver on the surface is a tale about a driver who is kidnapped. However, as you dive deeper into the story, it’s also about loneliness, forgiveness, and the things we let haunt us to the point that we can never escape them. People not in the mood for inner demons will probably have a hard time connecting to the film. However, those looking for something with depth and a surprisingly optimistic message will love the ride.

The film follows Long (played by Hiep Tran Nghia), a Vietnamese driver in Southern California. He answers a late-night call for a ride. Already in his pajamas, he reluctantly accepts, picking up a man, Tây (played by Dustin Nguyen), and his two companions. But the men have recently escaped from an Orange County jail. They take Long hostage at gunpoint, thrusting him into their getaway plan. When complications arise, the fugitives and their hostage hole up at a motel, and a tense waiting game unfolds.

The Accidental Getaway Driver is inspired by a true story which makes this ride even more anxiety-inducing. The gig economy finds lots of people facing a whole array of dangers driving strangers to who knows where. Or delivering food to places that may be unsafe. These fears are brought to the forefront when you look at Long. We see a sad but gentle grandfather who, in a better world, would be able to retire and live comfortably. 

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Director and co-writer Sing J. Lee beautifully captures this scary situation in a way that humanizes all four people involved including the captors. Aden (played by Dali Benssalah) and Eddie (played by Phi Vu) pose the most danger to our loveable protagonist. However, we can’t help but feel a bit of empathy for their portrayal. Lee and Christopher Chen’s script never loses sight of the danger Long is in. But its main focus is on the bigger humanistic picture.

We have a moment where Aden almost connects with Long while talking about his army history. Eddie and Tây learn how to properly throw sunflower seeds from Lee. As they gather on the bed in a moment of respite I found myself smiling. Eddie also has a very emotional reaction to seeing his family on television. Watching in real time what his prison break has done to them breaks him. We can’t help being frustrated with the group of guys that would take an old man hostage. However, we also rarely get a moment without being reminded that they are human.

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Long and Tây’s relationship is what ties the themes of The Accidental Getaway Driver together. Because Tây has to translate between Long and the other two captors, they instantly begin to connect as if they have both found a missing piece they’d secretly longed for all along. Tây becomes Long’s protector from the other two. As their connection deepens they begin to find they have more in common than language and Vietnam. Long sees the mistakes Tây is making but knows he can still turn his life around and avoid becoming a lonely old man filled with regrets like himself. While Long can’t go back and change the course for the previous versions of himself, he can save the captor that’s trying to keep him alive. It’s a heartfelt commentary on finding family in unexpected places and how forgiveness is the first step to healing.

The Accidental Getaway Driver is a haunting and dramatic thriller, but the haunting of self is as much on display as the hostage situation. We get glimpses of Long as a child, and he tells us how he used to hide from the other kids until they would give up looking for him. Only his mother knew where he hid, and she was the only person who made him feel seen. We hear how he went to war and missed twenty years with his family. When he returned, his kids were adults and didn’t speak Vietnamese.

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This language barrier was part of the rift that developed and resulted in him retreating into himself and leaving them for the second time. While we don’t know if this family could’ve worked it out, we do gain an understanding of why he’s so eager to father a grown man who kidnapped him. We also find out that the woman Tây refers to as his sister isn’t related to him. So his fondness for this old man is part of their shared need to feel a connection that drives them toward each other even under these strange conditions. 

While The Accidental Getaway Driver is not the kind of haunting most might be looking for, it is cathartic. It also gives a glimpse of hope and reminds us that it is never too late to shift gears and drive toward a happier existence. 

Did you catch The Accidental Getaway Driver at Sundance? Let me know what you think about it at @misssharai.

• The Accidental Getaway Driver

Summary

The Accidental Getaway Driver is a quiet examination of the things we hold onto and how they haunt us. It’s also a beautiful movie with some phenomenal performances.

Tags: Sundance 2023 The Accidental Getaway Driver


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