Dash Review (2022) Worth Watching?

It's about an adulterous rideshare gig worker who navigates the nighttime streets of LA while trying to keep his troubling double-life a secret.

Dash was directed by Sean Perry and stars Alexander Molina, Monette Moio, and Paige Grimard.

As the streaming age has ushered in more and more content, it can be more challenging for any movie to stand out. To try to combat this, the upcoming 2022 road thriller Dash will join movies like 1917 and 2011's Silent House in presenting the illusion of being one continuous, uninterrupted shot.

The results of the film are average, but it is very entertaining to watch, partially due to the excellent performance by the lead actor and the exciting visuals throughout the film.

This is Sean Perry's sophomore directorial effort and stars relative newcomer Alexander Molina. The movie is called "Dash," It follows the story of Milly, a man who suffers from ED (emotional dependency). We see how this one night affects him and how he deals with his condition.

Milly is a married man with not one but two mistresses - one of whom is pregnant. He has them both listed on his phone under different names - his wife is 'My Favorite Hooker', and the other woman is 'Potential Spamm.'

The women in Milly's life highlight his uneasy relationship with intimacy, social media, and destructive habits. He hopes to change these patterns, like quitting smoking cigarettes.

While driving through Los Angeles, Milly encounters many different types of people, including a throuple in an open relationship, two giddy clubbers, a cop on leave, an out-of-town couple from Nebraska, and an ex-junkie. These people all contribute to a night with mounting roadblocks for Milly, who is assigned to drive the story's action.

Milly enlists the help of his casual hook-up friend Kelli to provide him with some illegal drugs to peddle to his customers since he has a child on the way. Unfortunately, Milly mistakenly believes that the drugs Kelli will provide are cocaine. One of his passengers buys the drug, thinking its cocaine, and almost immediately has a seizure.

The fun is only beginning for Milly, who will face the repercussions of his lies and cowardly insecurities. Milly, who ironically can't express himself well despite working in a job that requires him to listen to others, will have to come to terms with his shortcomings.

The heroin overdoses and the women in Milly's life are creating a lot of stress, and he has a hard time keeping everything balanced, which makes for some incredibly entertaining moments.

Much of the movie's humor comes from watching the main character's face as he gets increasingly panicked at being exposed for all his wrongdoings. But, of course, it's all happening in real-time, so we see every little change in his expression.

This is a real one-take movie with no edits (not even a hidden edit), which works both for and against the film. Molina's frantic performance and captivating presence add to the movie's appeal.

The film can be enjoyable for viewers who appreciate the humor and clever dialogue. However, the film may test the patience of other viewers who feel it drags in places and is only sometimes interesting. The film is tonally at odds with itself, with a late-stage development bringing unexpected catharsis to an otherwise slapstick and fast-moving film.

The movie is presented in CinemaScope and has a great soundtrack with classic tracks from Bobby Day and Billy Lee Riley. The film loves genre display and has some genuine heart and social commentary. Some of Milly's passengers make snarky comments about living in Los Angeles, saying that if you don't have a drug or alcohol problem, you're not doing it right.

This movie features an array of characters that feels real enough. Still, it is a frustrating and neon-drenched mediation on parenthood, infidelity, and toxic masculinity that arrives at its destination a little too late.

Worth Watching?

While Molina gave an excellent performance, too many distractions and detours took away from the overall experience. As a result, the film is just about average.

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