Watch Free Ride
- NR
- 2014
- 1 hr 26 min
-
5.6 (2,488)
Free Ride is a 2013 crime thriller drama film that tells the story of a single mother named Christina (Anna Paquin) who moves to Florida in the late 1970s with her two daughters, MJ (Liana Liberato) and Shell (Ava Acres), to start a new life. Christina gets a job as a waitress in a local bar, where she meets a charismatic guy named Boggs (Drea de Matteo), who offers her a job as a driver for his marijuana smuggling operation. Meanwhile, the girls attend school and make new friends, but they soon realize that their mother's job is not exactly legal, and they find themselves in the middle of a dangerous criminal network.
The movie starts with Christina packing her bags and leaving an abusive relationship with her drug lord husband in Michigan. She arrives in Florida with her two daughters, hoping to start over and provide a better life for her children. However, things are tough, and finding a job is not easy. One day, she meets Boggs, who takes a liking to her and offers her a job driving his boat loaded with marijuana from the Caribbean to Florida. Christina is hesitant at first, but she needs the money and decides to give it a shot.
The job takes Christina away from her children for long periods of time and puts them in the care of her neighbor, a kind but nosy woman named Sandy (Cam Gigandet). MJ and Shell quickly realize that their mother's job is not legal when they find a stash of marijuana in their backyard. As the family struggles to keep a low profile, Christina's involvement with Boggs becomes more dangerous.
As Christina becomes more involved with the drug operation, she starts to see the ugly side of the business. She witnesses a fellow smuggler being brutally murdered and realizes that she is in way over her head. However, she continues to work for Boggs, hoping to make enough money to move her family away from danger.
The tension in the movie builds slowly as Christina finds herself caught in the middle of a dangerous war between rival drug lords. As she tries to get out of the business and move her family away, she finds herself being dragged deeper in by her association with Boggs. Meanwhile, her relationship with her neighbors, especially Sandy, becomes strained, as they start to suspect that she is involved in something illegal.
Anna Paquin delivers an outstanding performance as Christina, portraying her as a strong and resilient woman who is willing to do anything to provide for her family. Her portrayal of a mother struggling to keep her children safe in the midst of dangerous criminal activity is both convincing and heart-wrenching. On the other hand, Liana Liberato and Ava Acres, who play her daughters, deliver excellent performances that capture the complexities of growing up too fast in a dangerous environment.
The movie's emphasis on the mother-daughter relationship is poignant and adds a layer of emotional depth to the story. The film also explores the human cost of drug trafficking, which goes beyond the legal consequences that criminals face. It shows how the business affects the families of those involved and the terrible consequences it can have on innocent people.
The film's setting in the late 1970s is perfectly captured through the vivid visuals and the use of classic rock music on the soundtrack. The sweeping aerial shots of boats traveling through turquoise waters and the vivid sunsets over Miami capture the beauty of the region while also highlighting the danger lurking beneath its surface.
In conclusion, Free Ride is a well-crafted drama that offers a realistic portrayal of a woman who is caught up in the dangerous world of drug trafficking. The performances by Anna Paquin and her co-stars are excellent, and the movie's themes of motherhood, family, and sacrifice are both touching and poignant. Be warned, though - this is not a movie for the faint of heart, as it offers a gritty and realistic portrayal of organized crime. Nonetheless, it's a must-watch for fans of crime dramas and anyone who loves a good thriller.
Free Ride is a 2014 action movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 26 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 5.6 and a MetaScore of 41.