The Lost Bus (2025)
This is first and foremost a disaster movie all about survival, with a loose background story to make us care a little bit about the characters and their motivations. Based on a true story, and from my understanding, Greengrass’ wanted specifically to tell more about the bus driver. While it is serviceable, and I respect if it is the true background story, it does come off as somewhat clichéd. At least I didn’t really connect with the two main characters, as the whole terrifying situation for the whole town was something I found more scary. Of course, a movie like this needs a few people that are fighting to get out of a life threatening situation. Attach a school bus full of kids and it is a good recipe for some edge of the seat tension. It does what it does, in my mind a tad melodramatic at times, but effective. It is unfair to wish for a different movie, but I would personally love to see the same scenario with more focus on the fire fighters, life rescuers and officers trying to control the massive natural disaster. More of Ray Martinez’s character basically, but that is not where the main focus is here.
Rating: 3.5