Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- disturbing
- tense
- grim
- late night thriller viewing
- crime movie marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Maria Bello's performance and the film's eerie atmosphere but found its rape-revenge premise sensationalized, tonally awkward, and uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Tess uses her investigative skills and the model of her fictional heroine Doreen Marcus to plan revenge while avoiding detection.
Tess applies her mystery-writing experience and grandmotherly heroine as practical frameworks for investigating the assault and designing her response.
The revenge plot is repeatedly interrupted by humorous and whimsical touches surrounding the rape and its aftermath.
The inciting assault occurs on an unused country road where a staged breakdown leaves Tess dependent on a seemingly helpful stranger.
Films like Big Driver, and why
Promising Young Woman
rape-revenge structure, female-centered retaliation, and grim thriller intensity
Ms .45
female revenge thriller driven by trauma, investigation, and moral ambiguity
I Spit on Your Grave
crime thriller built around a survivor pursuing calculated vengeance against perpetrators
Hard Candy
psychological revenge, disturbing violence, and a protagonist reclaiming agency
Movie Details
- Director
- Mikael Salomon
- Release Date
- 2014-10-18
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Rating
- 5.7 / 10 (236)
Cast
- Maria Bello
- Ann Dowd
- Will Harris
- Joan Jett
- Olympia Dukakis
- Jennifer Kydd
- Andre Myette
- Juanita Peters
- Mary-Colin Chisholm
- Kim Parkhill
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Lifetime Movie Club, Lifetime Movie Club Apple TV channel, Lifetime Movie Club Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Big Driver about?
- A mystery novelist transforms a calculated roadside assault into a dangerous investigation and a meticulously planned campaign of revenge.
- What is Big Driver like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Big Driver as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Big Driver violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Big Driver as graphic.
- What did critics think of Big Driver?
- Critics broadly praised Maria Bello's performance and the film's eerie atmosphere but found its rape-revenge premise sensationalized, tonally awkward, and uneven.
- Which films are like Big Driver?
- Films with a similar feel include Promising Young Woman, Ms .45, I Spit on Your Grave, and Hard Candy.
- How long is Big Driver?
- Big Driver runs 87 minutes.
- Where can I watch Big Driver?
- In United States, Big Driver streams on Philo, Lifetime Movie Club, Lifetime Movie Club Apple TV channel, Lifetime Movie Club Amazon Channel.
