Shuttle (film)
Encyclopedia
Shuttle is a 2008
thriller film/horror film
about a group of young travelers who are kidnapped by an airport shuttle
driver with unknown motives. The film was written and directed by Edward Anderson, and stars Tony Curran
, Peyton List, Cullen Douglas
, and Cameron Goodman
.
Shuttle premiered at South-by-Southwest Music and Film Festival March 8, 2008 in Austin, Texas. The film opened theatrically in limited release
in the United States on March 6, 2009.
) are best friends returning to Los Angeles
from a trip in Mexico
. Seth (James Snyder
) and Matt (Dave Power) arrive and introduce themselves to them. Jules takes Mel into the bathroom to help her deal with her motion sickness
, where Mel tells her that she has broken up with her fiancé.
Mel's luggage has been lost in the airport, so she plans to return the next day to collect them. Outside, they board a shuttle bus after its Driver (Tony Curran
) offers to charge them half the price of a regular shuttle. On board, they meet Andy (Cullen Douglas
). Seth and Matt arrive and attempt to board, but the Driver informs them that he must keep a tight schedule and he's running behind. Mel informs him that the men are friends of theirs.
During the trip, Mel shows Matt her signing
skills. While taking an unusual detour, they are run off the road by a car, and the Driver gets out to survey the damage, which turns out to be a flat tire. Jules opts to call a taxi, but there is no service where they are. Matt offers to help change the tire. While his hand is on top of the tire, the Driver looks for some nuts for the wheel. Suddenly, the bus falls off the jack and onto Matt's hand, severing his fingers. They quickly drive off to the hospital.
During the ride, the Driver calmly pulls over, much to the astonishment of the passengers. He pulls a gun on them and demands cooperation, taking everyone's phones and wallets. Mel and Seth argue about doing something, and Mel tells them that they need to stop what is going on. Jules finds a flare under the seat from the safety kit used to bandage Matt's hand, and Mel comes up with a plan to get the window open. Andy sees her and causes a commotion. A struggle ensues and the flare is set ablaze. The Driver sees this, stops the bus and removes the flare. Jules runs for the front and finds the door locked and the key missing.
The Driver re-enters and slashes Seth's face with a switchblade as a warning to the others. He drives them to an indoor ATM booth, and has Jules extract some money. While she is inside, she knocks some paper into a bin and sets it on fire. The Driver sees this, and rushes towards her, but she slams the door. Mel escapes, but the Driver shouts at her that he will let Jules suffocate from smoke inhalation if she doesn't return to the bus. She has no choice but to surrender.
He then takes them to an all-night supermarket, where he tells Mel to buy some supplies on a list he's written for her and nothing else. On the bus, he chains Seth and Andy together and makes them take valuables and passports from the luggage on board. Seth tells Andy if they get loose, the Driver can only get one of them. Inside, Mel sees a security camera and signs to it that she needs some help, before giving the cashier a note telling her to check the security tapes and to call the police when she leaves. Seth gets free and makes a run for it, only to be run over by the bus. The Driver places the body in the back.
He then scolds Mel for buying ice when she didn't need to, but she tells him it's for Matt's fingers. Back in the store, the cashier checks the cameras only to find out they were never switched on. Later, Mel shows Matt a knife she hid in the ice, which she uses to cut their belts off. Matt uses the ice bag to smash the window, and they all shout for help. The Driver walks towards them and pulls out the gun. Mel cuts his wrist with the knife. Matt then hits him over the head with the bag, as Mel grabs the gun and threatens to shoot the Driver. She makes him hand over the keys to the belts, and Jules is able to get herself and Andy free. Mel tries the radio, only to find that it doesn't work.
She takes the wheel of the bus and drives, leaving Matt with the gun and Andy with the knife. Andy then nonchalantly stabs Matt in the throat, which no one notices at first. He grabs the gun and puts it to Mel's head, telling her to get away from the pedals. Andy then reveals himself to be in league with the Driver. Andy torments the girls for a while until the Driver gets him to stop. He drives to a bridge and they throw the bodies off.
Later, Mel manages to get a tire iron from under the seat, and keeps it by her side. Andy wraps tape around the girls' mouths and takes a cuff of their hair. Mel hits him several times with the tire iron and the Driver is forced to stop. She pulls herself free, and the Driver attempts to get the gun, only for her to hit him on the hand, and knock it towards Jules. Mel seizes control and drives away, but he rushes towards her. She slams the brakes and accelerates to throw him about. She reaches for a knife and stabs him in the knee. Andy comes over to attack her but she grabs a fire extinguisher and hits him with it. The bus crashes into a wall during the struggle.
After finding Andy dead and the Driver and Mel unconscious, Jules escapes and flags down a passing car. A man gets out, but before he can help her, he is run over by the Driver. He then takes them to a warehouse. The Driver makes Jules dye Mel's hair blonde and then makes them strip down to their underwear and wear white high heels for an inspection. The man who inspects them is revealed to be the man that ran them off the road earlier. The Driver inspects their bags and finds that Jules has Antifungal medication for a yeast infection. Since Jules is of no use to the Driver since he needs the girls to both be in good health, he takes her onto the bus and gasses her with a tube connected to the exhaust
.
He finds Mel, who threatens to cut her face with a shard of glass, which would make her useless to him as well. Instead, she stabs him in the arm with it. He attempts to disarm her, but she stabs it into his thigh before hitting him in the face with some light fixtures. She finds the gun and shoots him, the bullet skimming his head. Thinking he is dead, she tries to escape in the bus. However, before it can start the Driver attacks her again, and they grapple before he forces her into a crate with the supplies she bought earlier, which include a flashlight, a loaf of bread, water, her motion sickness pills, an Asian language learning book, and a litter box.
Trapped inside the crate, which is destined for East Asia
, she examines a photo of sex slaves who are all blonde and wearing white high heels. The crate is then loaded onto a ship. It becomes clear to her that she is to be sold as a sex slave. She begins sobbing as she realizes her fate.
The final shot is of Mel's bag turning up at the airport with no one to claim it.
reported that 55% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 22 reviews.
2008 in film
This is a list of all major films made in 2008.-Highest-grossing films:Please note that following the tradition of the English-language film industry, these are the top grossing films that were first released in the USA in 2008...
thriller film/horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
about a group of young travelers who are kidnapped by an airport shuttle
Airport bus
An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus or airport shuttle is a bus or coach used to transport people to/from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding....
driver with unknown motives. The film was written and directed by Edward Anderson, and stars Tony Curran
Tony Curran
Anthony "Tony" Curran is a Scottish actor.Curran was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He is an alumnus of Holyrood Secondary School and is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama....
, Peyton List, Cullen Douglas
Cullen Douglas
Cullen Douglas is an American film and television actor.He is best known for his television guest appearances on shows such as Prison Break, Kenan & Kel, CSI, Private Practice, and, most notably, as Mr. Arnold, "The Birdman," on Grey's Anatomy...
, and Cameron Goodman
Cameron Goodman
-Biography:She was born in Texas but grew up in Washington D.C. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. after transferring from Syracuse University in New York.-Career:...
.
Shuttle premiered at South-by-Southwest Music and Film Festival March 8, 2008 in Austin, Texas. The film opened theatrically in limited release
Limited release
Limited release is a term in the American motion picture industry for a motion picture that is playing in a select few theaters across the country ....
in the United States on March 6, 2009.
Plot
Mel (Peyton List) and Jules (Cameron GoodmanCameron Goodman
-Biography:She was born in Texas but grew up in Washington D.C. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. after transferring from Syracuse University in New York.-Career:...
) are best friends returning to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
from a trip in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Seth (James Snyder
James Snyder
James Snyder may refer to:*James S. Snyder, Anne and Jerome Fisher Director, The Israel Museum, Jerusalem*Jimmy Snyder , American racecar driver*Jim Snyder , Major League Baseball player and coach...
) and Matt (Dave Power) arrive and introduce themselves to them. Jules takes Mel into the bathroom to help her deal with her motion sickness
Motion sickness
Motion sickness or kinetosis, also known as travel sickness, is a condition in which a disagreement exists between visually perceived movement and the vestibular system's sense of movement...
, where Mel tells her that she has broken up with her fiancé.
Mel's luggage has been lost in the airport, so she plans to return the next day to collect them. Outside, they board a shuttle bus after its Driver (Tony Curran
Tony Curran
Anthony "Tony" Curran is a Scottish actor.Curran was born in Glasgow, Scotland. He is an alumnus of Holyrood Secondary School and is a graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama....
) offers to charge them half the price of a regular shuttle. On board, they meet Andy (Cullen Douglas
Cullen Douglas
Cullen Douglas is an American film and television actor.He is best known for his television guest appearances on shows such as Prison Break, Kenan & Kel, CSI, Private Practice, and, most notably, as Mr. Arnold, "The Birdman," on Grey's Anatomy...
). Seth and Matt arrive and attempt to board, but the Driver informs them that he must keep a tight schedule and he's running behind. Mel informs him that the men are friends of theirs.
During the trip, Mel shows Matt her signing
Sign language
A sign language is a language which, instead of acoustically conveyed sound patterns, uses visually transmitted sign patterns to convey meaning—simultaneously combining hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to fluidly express a speaker's...
skills. While taking an unusual detour, they are run off the road by a car, and the Driver gets out to survey the damage, which turns out to be a flat tire. Jules opts to call a taxi, but there is no service where they are. Matt offers to help change the tire. While his hand is on top of the tire, the Driver looks for some nuts for the wheel. Suddenly, the bus falls off the jack and onto Matt's hand, severing his fingers. They quickly drive off to the hospital.
During the ride, the Driver calmly pulls over, much to the astonishment of the passengers. He pulls a gun on them and demands cooperation, taking everyone's phones and wallets. Mel and Seth argue about doing something, and Mel tells them that they need to stop what is going on. Jules finds a flare under the seat from the safety kit used to bandage Matt's hand, and Mel comes up with a plan to get the window open. Andy sees her and causes a commotion. A struggle ensues and the flare is set ablaze. The Driver sees this, stops the bus and removes the flare. Jules runs for the front and finds the door locked and the key missing.
The Driver re-enters and slashes Seth's face with a switchblade as a warning to the others. He drives them to an indoor ATM booth, and has Jules extract some money. While she is inside, she knocks some paper into a bin and sets it on fire. The Driver sees this, and rushes towards her, but she slams the door. Mel escapes, but the Driver shouts at her that he will let Jules suffocate from smoke inhalation if she doesn't return to the bus. She has no choice but to surrender.
He then takes them to an all-night supermarket, where he tells Mel to buy some supplies on a list he's written for her and nothing else. On the bus, he chains Seth and Andy together and makes them take valuables and passports from the luggage on board. Seth tells Andy if they get loose, the Driver can only get one of them. Inside, Mel sees a security camera and signs to it that she needs some help, before giving the cashier a note telling her to check the security tapes and to call the police when she leaves. Seth gets free and makes a run for it, only to be run over by the bus. The Driver places the body in the back.
He then scolds Mel for buying ice when she didn't need to, but she tells him it's for Matt's fingers. Back in the store, the cashier checks the cameras only to find out they were never switched on. Later, Mel shows Matt a knife she hid in the ice, which she uses to cut their belts off. Matt uses the ice bag to smash the window, and they all shout for help. The Driver walks towards them and pulls out the gun. Mel cuts his wrist with the knife. Matt then hits him over the head with the bag, as Mel grabs the gun and threatens to shoot the Driver. She makes him hand over the keys to the belts, and Jules is able to get herself and Andy free. Mel tries the radio, only to find that it doesn't work.
She takes the wheel of the bus and drives, leaving Matt with the gun and Andy with the knife. Andy then nonchalantly stabs Matt in the throat, which no one notices at first. He grabs the gun and puts it to Mel's head, telling her to get away from the pedals. Andy then reveals himself to be in league with the Driver. Andy torments the girls for a while until the Driver gets him to stop. He drives to a bridge and they throw the bodies off.
Later, Mel manages to get a tire iron from under the seat, and keeps it by her side. Andy wraps tape around the girls' mouths and takes a cuff of their hair. Mel hits him several times with the tire iron and the Driver is forced to stop. She pulls herself free, and the Driver attempts to get the gun, only for her to hit him on the hand, and knock it towards Jules. Mel seizes control and drives away, but he rushes towards her. She slams the brakes and accelerates to throw him about. She reaches for a knife and stabs him in the knee. Andy comes over to attack her but she grabs a fire extinguisher and hits him with it. The bus crashes into a wall during the struggle.
After finding Andy dead and the Driver and Mel unconscious, Jules escapes and flags down a passing car. A man gets out, but before he can help her, he is run over by the Driver. He then takes them to a warehouse. The Driver makes Jules dye Mel's hair blonde and then makes them strip down to their underwear and wear white high heels for an inspection. The man who inspects them is revealed to be the man that ran them off the road earlier. The Driver inspects their bags and finds that Jules has Antifungal medication for a yeast infection. Since Jules is of no use to the Driver since he needs the girls to both be in good health, he takes her onto the bus and gasses her with a tube connected to the exhaust
Carbon monoxide poisoning
Carbon monoxide poisoning occurs after enough inhalation of carbon monoxide . Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect...
.
He finds Mel, who threatens to cut her face with a shard of glass, which would make her useless to him as well. Instead, she stabs him in the arm with it. He attempts to disarm her, but she stabs it into his thigh before hitting him in the face with some light fixtures. She finds the gun and shoots him, the bullet skimming his head. Thinking he is dead, she tries to escape in the bus. However, before it can start the Driver attacks her again, and they grapple before he forces her into a crate with the supplies she bought earlier, which include a flashlight, a loaf of bread, water, her motion sickness pills, an Asian language learning book, and a litter box.
Trapped inside the crate, which is destined for East Asia
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
, she examines a photo of sex slaves who are all blonde and wearing white high heels. The crate is then loaded onto a ship. It becomes clear to her that she is to be sold as a sex slave. She begins sobbing as she realizes her fate.
The final shot is of Mel's bag turning up at the airport with no one to claim it.
Critical reception
The film received mixed reviews from critics. The review aggregator Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
reported that 55% of critics gave the film positive reviews, based on 22 reviews.