Night Fare (2015) User Reviews

A great first half ruined by a wonky ending

[jennypenny1969 · 5/10 · 16 September 2015]

The premise to this film is undeniably great.

Who wouldn't be scared by a maniac cab driver chasing after you for not paying your night fare... whilst keeping the meter running!

Sadly the film didn't work for me, where humour and intensity could have prevailed, a great opening and first half of the movie was ruined by a second half and ending that literally felt tacked on.

And the director proudly revealed in the Q&A at FrightFest that they in fact changed the film as they were shooting, and made up a new ending on the go. The thing is you can tell that's what they did and it doesn't feel very clever, it just feels random. Not to mention the cardboard cut-out women characters that are only present to look pretty and get kidnapped. Come on, it's 2015!

It didn't work for me, though there is a little to enjoy in the opening. I give the film a 5/10 for effort. But I don't think I'd be interested in watching this again.

Thinkers Avoid, Non-Thinkers May Enjoy.

[Otte1 · 4/10 · 26 October 2019]

If you are wondering if you seen this movie before, you have. Namely 'The Car' or 'Hitcher'. The twist ending almost saves this movie......but no. I expect bad decisions in horror/thriller/drama movies because you need a reason for the movie to exist. In this movie there is NOT one good decision made. For 75% of movie there are the absolutely worst decisions being made by everyone.

The tension is maintained throughout the movie, you do want to know what happens next. The tacked on ending gives a surprise, but it does not explain nor does it fits with what happened before.

Thinkers..stay away. People who just want to see some action on the screen, go ahead.

Don't ever stiff a cabbie in Paris

[labng · 4/10 · 23 January 2020]

This is kind of like Joy Ride with French subtitles, only a lot more people die. Then there was some kind of weird animation sequence where our shiftless main characters are given the chance to to redeem themselves. Come to find out the killer cabbie is really some kind of avenging angel. So, yeah...

Don't waste your time on this one

[santiagogf · 2/10 · 10 December 2020]

Non-sense violence and no logic can be found in this movie. The suspense of the movie is blown away by all the lack of logic of the actions done by the main antagonist characher, which seems unstoppable but seems to not want to finish his job.

A worthy ride despite some flaws

[Wizard-8 · 7/10 · 11 March 2018]

I'm pretty sure that the makers of "Night Fare" got some inspiration from the 1984 American movie "The Terminator", since the first two-thirds of the movie for the most part involve two protagonists constantly running away from a pursuing and unstoppable threat. But taking inspiration from another movie doesn't really bother me as long as the makers of the new version execute things well, and for the most part the movie is pretty well made. There is a good deal of tension and excitement in the first two-thirds, as well as some good action and brutality. I admit that eventually the movie starts to get a little repetitive, but fortunately around that time, the movie changes things around and we get another plot thread. This new plot thread is interesting, but by the time we get to the closing credits, you'll realize that the movie has not answered a number of key questions. And some plot points feel unfinished as well. Despite these flaws that I have described, the movie is never dull and is always entertaining. And at just 80 minutes in length, it certainly does not overstay its welcome. A word of warning if you watch the movie on Netflix: Watch it with English subtitles, because a significant portion of the dialogue is in French.

Night Predator

[searchanddestroy-1 · 14 January 2016]

I don't doubt that the director was inspired by classic films ( such as DUEL, THE CAR, CHRISTINE or UN TEMOIN DANS LA VILLE - another French movie speaking of taxis at night in Paris) to make this movie. The tale of two youngsters, two pricks who, one night, refuse to pay a cab driver the money they owe him. But they are not in luck, because the cab driver is a psycho who doesn't hesitate to run after them in the most terrific way, killing every one standing between him and his targets, who, finally got only what they deserved. This film is far from flawless but offers an interesting twist in the end, that looks pretty much like a comic book. yes, a comic book in the pure Manga style. A good French crime, horror. Worth watching.

Not sure about this one

[danielcereto · 5/10 · 13 May 2019]

This movie look like the typical psycho taxi driver going behind the typical teens that will end slashed. But it is not. 3/4 of the movie the thing is quite simple. Last 1/4 even it was interesting. Did not like much the formula. So, if you want to watch a decent b movie with a few deads and a plain script with a twist, watch this.

Definitely worth watching

[calicut110 · 7/10 · 13 March 2018]

I promise anyone that likes a good thriller will like this movie. There is a great surprise ending as well. I don't want to give anything away but there should be more movies like this.

Started great..ended weak!

[Go_For_The_Jugular · 3/10 · 3 January 2023]

This started off so good. There was no CGI, or special fx...just 2 guys walking around a suspiciously quiet Paris at night. It was great. They skanked the taxi driver...and it really warmed up!

But after that, it just became non-sensical and silly.

It went from a genuinely good movie, to an absolute mess.

After the taxi driver got out of the car, the whole thing went supernatural...which wasn't on the cards. The whole thing took a mad turn and became a joke.

The 3rd act was an absolute omnishambles of closure and exposition. It was just a mess. The final 'explanation' made zero sense...and the final scene was absolutely ridiculous!

Summary- started great...ended horribly.

Solid B Flick

[bridgetbreland · 7/10 · 14 June 2018]

Don't know what's up with the haters. Nice twist and well done. My only gripe is some of it was in french and I didn't have subtitles on but that was my bad. Worth your time for an intriguing story & well acted for not being a high budget movie

Don't Read Much Into It, Just Enjoy It

[clintstevens · 9/10 · 12 March 2018]

I went into this flick thinking it was gonna be a 'Terminator Meets Christine' movie. I was wrong. I was first bothered by the fact that the whole freakin' city was deserted while a psycho taxi driver chased 2 bad boys intent on wreaking vengeance, but it was so much more than that. After coming to the realization that this was a graphic novel come to life (and the last 30 minutes proved me right), I just sat back and enjoyed it. If you enjoy thrillers with some violence thrown in for effect, you'll like 'Night Fare'.

Paris; the city of love, a psychotic cab driver and totally deserted roads and streets...

[jimbo-53-186511 · 7/10 · 28 July 2017]

Two friends Chris (Jonathan Howard) and Luc (Jonathan Demurger)reunite in Paris and plan on having a night out on the town. They hitch a ride in a taxi, but skip out of the taxi without paying on the basis that they were going to 'nip' to the cash machine for some money. However, this cab driver doesn't take kindly to these two men not paying their fare and the cab driver doggedly pursues them in what turns out to be a terrifying manhunt....

Night Fare is a mixed bag of a film which inevitably has some bad elements to it, but on the whole I found that it's strengths did outweigh its weaknesses..

Where the film is at its best is when the focus is on the crazy cab driver psychotically pursuing the fare jumpers. Many of these scenes are intense and the performances from the two protagonists are really good and they were both able to convey genuine fear incredibly well. The film only has a short run time of 80 minutes and generally covers this ground in a fast-paced and effective manner. I've always felt that films of this nature work better when the madman's identity is kept a secret - it helps to build intrigue, suspense and mystery and generally leaves you wanting to learn more about the madman. This is one reason why I appreciated the reveal as well as being surprised by it; the cab driver's psychotic violence had a point to it which actually makes it a much deeper film than one would initially assume.

As good as it is for the most part, the film does have some rather glaring weaknesses; whilst the film is tense and suspenseful for a good chunk of its running time, director Julien Seri does over-stage the action (particularly in the first half). It seems that wherever our protagonists run to the cab driver is there (within seconds) and this even occurs at times where it's unlikely or improbable that he could second guess what they could do. The dialogue in this film is also poor and only consists of our two friends talking about their love for the same woman which inevitably causes conflict between the two men. Outside of this, we don't learn anything about the men (other than one of them is French and one of them is English and they both love the same woman) and as a result of this the character development on offer here is at best poor and at worst non-existent.

The film is also set in Paris which is a city that's home to over 2 million people yet the streets and roads are completely deserted; so where is everybody and why are there only one set of coppers patrolling the streets in Paris?? Whilst the cab driver is an intimidating presence and he is pretty damn terrifying, I do feel that everything was overdone slightly with his character - I can understand how he acquires his incredible fighting skills, but how do you train yourself to be able to withstand being Tasered - literally thousands of volts of electricity into his body and he doesn't even flinch?? What are his clothes made of? Rubber?? He felt more like a superhuman comic book character than a real person. It's narrative flaws like this that jar with the serious philosophising at the end of the film and it's these things that prevent it from being a brilliant film - although it is still a good film I hasten to add.

The reveal at the end is a bit of a curve-ball ending and by the time the credits started rolling I felt as though I'd watched some mad cross between Duel, Oldboy and A Clockwork Orange. The reveal did provide us with a much wider story and the idea of the cab driver being an avenging angel who initially has been saved from himself and ultimately does the same to others did at least show that some thought had gone into the story and made the film not quite as generic as it could have been - it also leaves the film open for a sequel.

Night Fare is imperfect, but it is pretty tense and suspense and more importantly rather surprising and in spite of its glaring flaws I did find it enjoyable.

Enjoy the ride – it's one of the best.

[Fella_shibby · 9/10 · 10 July 2016]

It's directed by Julien Seri. I have seen the directors debut film Yamakasi in 2006. Never kept a track on the directors future projects. It was about parkour n very entertaining. I saw Night fare recently without watching the trailer or reading much about it. I was pleasantly surprised how good the movie was n was shocked too knowin that it is the same director of Yamakasi. Looking forward for his future projects, specially a film which has Orlando bloom in it called Smart Chase. Coming back to Night fare, well it's a solid thriller with good pace n decent acting. The camera work was good n the cinematography was done very well . The music was done well too especially whenever the 'Maniac' approaches. It had a sense of dread n tension to it. This movie reminded me of ol skool 80s slasher, where a maniac keeps on chasing its victims. Remember Maniac cop? The kills were fast n brutal. The killer was scary n solidly built. It had a feel of Duel, Joy ride -1, Jeepers creepers. The length of the movie was short. Ther is only one small complain. When the guy with the sword comes down to confront the Maniac, he's suddenly taken down on the ground. I mean that scene looked too fake man. There is enuff kills to satisfy horror fans. Even the offscreen violent scene ( The man with the dog scene) was terrifying enuff. Some people might complain about the ending being lame or maybe some may not understand because it's in French. Slick thriller pulsing with a fantastic score. Night Fare is a tense and, at times, brutal chase flick that keeps the adrenaline pumping throughout. Don't miss the ride.

Interesting film

[york-00932 · 8/10 · 21 March 2018]

Worth watching, but don't expect too much. Two friends on a night out in Paris decide to be jerks and they get their due. Pretty straight forward, except that three quarters in, the film takes a sharp turn and becomes something other than a standard slasher film. Stick with it until the end.

A Slasher and So Much More

[hepodcast · 10/10 · 19 November 2015]

If Batman mated with the truck from Stephen Spielberg's Duel (don't tell me that isn't physically possible, the man can beat Superman, he could figure it out) nine months later one of them would give birth to something that looked like Night Fare.

At first blush, Night Fare is a movie about an evil car, a vengeful taxi hungry for its fare. But as the story unfolds it reveals new and surprising layers of complexity.

Two friends meet in Paris two years after a mysterious event forced one of them to go on the run from the law. They celebrate their reunion with a night of partying and revelry, and when the party's over they take a taxi home. But at the last minute they stiff the taxi driver and make a run for it. It's a simple prank, a fleeting moment of drunken foolishness, but the taxi and its mysterious driver proceed to hound them through the streets of Paris, running them down side roads and back alleys, seemingly out for revenge over the lost toll.

But slowly it becomes clear things are not so simple. The taxi and its driver aren't just out for payback, and the toll the two men owe is far higher than the fare for the cab ride.

Night Fare is not a subtle movie. Our first glimpse of the taxi draped under a blood red silk cloth is accompanied by a driving synthetic soundtrack, and when the mysterious driver pulls away he reveals a man lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. "Be afraid of this car" the movie tells us.

And so when we see that same car roll up to pick up our protagonists we already know they're in for trouble.

night-fare-1-e1444236412846From that moment the tension never really lets up. The taxi and its driver come after the two men with an unstoppable, almost supernatural, force. As the night goes on and every safe haven the men turn to is eliminated, they're forced to face a moment they thought they had left behind for ever.

Night Fare is a cool movie, and the driver is a great antagonist. He's nearly always shrouded in shadow, a hulking silhouette that seems more like an avenging angel than a flesh and blood man. He may be a bad guy, but all of the people he targets (including our protagonists) are worse. So when he rips through a room full of gangsters with a katana, we start to side with him. And in time the movie rewards us for that instinct.

There's a moment at the end of Night Fare seemed certain to ruin the movie. It is a scene of pure exposition, telling us exactly what the taxi driver is about, where he came from, what his motives are. And it's told with a cartoon.

It shouldn't work. It breaks all the rules. When you have a cool unstoppable vigilante with an evil car, giving every single detail of his back story in an info-dump right at the end of the movie ought to be the worst possible thing you could do.

But somehow it works. It works because it leads into something else, something that ties everything together in a way that couldn't have been possible without it.

Night Fare starts out like a slasher flick with a car in the role of the slasher, but it slowly turns into something else: A story of redemption.

Read more over at www.humanechoes.com

Lean and mean ... and unexpected

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 27 June 2016]

I think even the people who had issues with the ending, did like most of the rest of it. If you don't have issues with violence in films, there is actually no reason why you shouldn't love what you see. The suspense is almost killing the viewer (but most certainly is trying to do that with our main characters).

It has a bit of a serial killer vibe to it (the unstoppable force coming after you) and I guess there is a certain reason for that, that we are given from the start. It may be predictable overall (though not the ending as it is), but it still is able to create an atmosphere that is breath taking. The ending was surprising and can be a deal breaker (no pun intended), but if you think about it, it does make sense - maybe not in our world and maybe the message is too strong, but it's a movie, why shouldn't it go there? (and the main villain: Wow! Just wow!)

Exciting

[ForU777 · 9/10 · 9 August 2020]

Fast paced with surprise thrills along the way. Its like a French version of the movie Drive. So buckle up and enjoy.

This is really nice!

[DavidGalligani · 9/10 · 16 December 2023]

I usually do not write reviews, but I must say that I really cannot understand the ratings... Probably USA viewers don't get European movies, I really don't know.

The movie is original, has a good pace and an original twist at the end... For a change, acting is good.

So what's the problem? No hollywood actors? No super stunts? No american flags? No love story and not enough boobs? Just an original idea, good acting and a nice director?

Oh Come on!

Give the movie a chance, and please be honest with the ratings. This was quite a nice surprise actually, and I really hope to see more stuff like this around.