The Lost Bus (2025) - Film Review

      The Lost Bus, 2025.

      Directed by Paul Greengrass.

      Featuring Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson, Levi McConaughey, Kay McCabe McConaughey, John Messina, Spencer Watson, Danny McCarthy, and Gary Kraus.

      SYNOPSIS:

      A misguided school bus driver and a committed teacher work together to rescue 22 children from a horrifying blaze. This film is part corny family drama, part natural disaster epic that dwells on destruction both as a misguided spectacle and a sobering reminder of nature's power. It also serves as a thrilling survival story and an inspirational Hollywood portrayal of real-life heroism, incorporating local residents in minor roles for authenticity. Paul Greengrass’ The Lost Bus teeters on the edge between depth and exploitation. It frequently shifts to the terrified faces of children trapped in a bus amidst the 2018 Paradise, California fires, creating an emotionally manipulative atmosphere.

      Matthew McConaughey portrays Kevin McKay, an everyman bus driver dealing with financial struggles, who joins forces with elementary school teacher Mary Ludwig. However, America Ferrera's strikingly young appearance with a haircut reminiscent of Sandra Bullock and her close-up reactions unavoidably evoke memories of the 1996 thriller Speed, involving a bus that couldn't slow down without triggering an explosion. It's debatable if this is the appropriate homage in a film that shadows recent tragedies with a blockbuster, heroic flair.

      This is just one example among several peculiar presentation choices in The Lost Bus that raises questions about the intentions behind adapting Lizzie Johnson’s book, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire. One might assume that the book was less focused on destruction and more on an action-oriented narrative. Is the inclusion of real civilians in this retelling meant to mitigate that? At best, it feels neutral.

      The story revolves around relatable themes of parenthood, depicting Kevin as an ordinary father grappling with his past mistakes while torn between racing home to his ailing teenage son Shaun (Levi McConaughey) and mother/grandmother Sherry (Kay McConaughey) for medicine or daringly navigating through flames as the last bus driver able to rescue around 20 elementary children who lack parental access. The film follows his perilous journey to a designated meeting point, with no certainty of return to his family. Greengrass largely sidelines this internal conflict, although McConaughey and Ferrera's performances elevate the somewhat inconsistent tone. This approach seems prudent, given how challenging it is to engage with these clichéd family dynamics, especially since the twist centers on McConaughey’s real-life family. The strained relationship between Kevin and Shaun highlights that Shaun seems happiest with his stepmother and is now stuck with his dad for a few weeks.

      It may also aim to criticize the electricity and gas company deemed responsible for much of the devastation, but this aspect is mostly confined to a single scene and some text during the end credits. Perhaps there is a genuine curiosity regarding wildfires. However, Greengrass struggles to decide whether to portray it through typical streaming CGI lens, sensationalizing the ignition of the fire akin to Beavis exclaiming “FIRE!” or depict the events in a starkly realistic manner with a harsh color palette and perilous water runs. Even though the on-the-ground depictions of fire department communication and their attempts to devise evacuation plans and save lives (following some appropriately thrilling moments of failure) capture heroism more gracefully than the intense bus scenes, it would be unfair to suggest it culminates in anything significant.

      This indicates that The Lost Bus may lack focus, but it's not necessarily a flaw. It is exhilarating and, for the most part, impressively crafted, catering to various viewers' tastes in this inspiring tale of heroic bus driving. Ultimately, it exists in a space between being sincere in its depiction of wildfire heroics, sentimental and impactful in showcasing societal unity, and exploitative, yet thrilling nonetheless.

      Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★

      Robert Kojder