THE STORY – A former teenage getaway driver is dragged back into her unsavory past when a previous employer offers her the chance to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.
THE CAST – Samara Weaving, Karl Glusman, Jermaine Fowler, Marshawn Lynch, Randall Park, Steve Zahn & Andy Garcia
THE TEAM – Shawn Simmons (Director/Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 106 Minutes
Some children play with little toy cars or get mini cruisers from their parents; little Edie in “Eenie Meanie” had to get her parents out of sticky situations by being their getaway driver. Some people know when to quit their toxic ex; Edie constantly finds herself caught in the middle of his problems. To say she’s not like the other girls is an understatement, as director/writer Shawn Simmons explores the world of fast cars and even faster drivers in his directorial debut. Seeing a woman take the driver’s seat in a film of this nature is exciting and welcome, but sadly, Simmons’ story fails its heroine in several ways. It loses sight of everything Edie is, and it tries to fit too many storylines in without expanding upon the one person who deserves it most.
Edie’s (Samara Weaving) abnormal childhood made her one of the best getaway drivers in Cleveland, but now in her late 20s, she wants to leave that behind. She’s going to school, working at a bank, and facing all the annoying situations in life that normal people experience. But forces keep trying to pull her back to her old ways, like when she almost plays the hero during a robbery at work. When she learns that she’s pregnant with her ex-boyfriend John’s (Karl Glusman) child, her slow-paced life quickly turns on its head when she reunites with him. Finding him in the middle of a bad situation with a bunch of goons, Edie has to flex her driving skills to get herself and John to safety. Cool under pressure, Edie effortlessly gets in the zone and pulls slick, wild maneuvers on the road. It’s not over the top, a la “Fast & Furious,” but the sequence is edited well enough for you to want to see more from our unlikely heroine.
Unfortunately for her, she’s gotten herself in John’s mess, and she’s the one who has to clean it up. A stupid decision on his part (involving Randall Park) leads them to their big bad boss, Nico (Andy Garcia), who needs a driver for his next heist. The plan includes stealing $3 million from a casino card tournament and driving away from the scene of the crime. It should be simple for a pro like Edie, but a rogue driver, Perm Walters (Marshawn Lynch), complicates matters, along with her feelings about the past.
Whenever Weaving is involved in a project, you can always count on her to deliver. She does a stellar job standing up to the many ridiculous men in this film, not only through her biting words, but also through her expressive eyes that show so much disappointment. It’s such a shame that much of her character arc revolves around these men, like John, who is the least redeeming character for her to spend so much time with. Despite the many times she tries to give him up, she keeps sticking around and worrying about his well-being, even though he’s reckless, constantly at odds with her, and doesn’t seem to care about how his actions affect her whatsoever. Even as we learn more about their past, it isn’t enough to justify a grand romance between them. However, all this to say, Glusman brings this manchild to life perfectly, as he hones in on his lack of emotional intelligence and makes us roll our eyes at the many bad decisions he makes in this film. Simmons also throws in a plot involving Edie’s father (Steve Zahn), which lacks the necessary backstory and context for us to feel its emotional weight fully. Up until this point, Edie is presented as a very strong, independent woman who has overcome her dark past. All of a sudden, she’s upset over all the ways he failed her, even though she doesn’t talk about it at any point prior. It seems Simmons had to add this extra plot to increase tension and utilize Zahn more, but it ultimately leads to clunky results.
As “Eenie Meanie” heads into its grand heist finale, it loses excitement and momentum as soon as it begins. There’s not enough tension added to her escape from the casino – things go pretty smoothly for the most part – and her attempts to evade cops on the road are also far too easy. There’s not much flair added to any of the driving sequences when it comes to editing or camera angles, and even when Perm Walters shows up to mess with her, you’re more confused by what he wants than intrigued. The remaining beats in the film, involving Edie prioritizing herself and her future after John makes yet another bad decision, bring a satisfying conclusion to her story. Still, we should have had these moments throughout the film. Pretty much all of her actions are tied to some man dictating what she needs to do or dragging her into some mess, and it’s disappointing that Simmons gave her so little agency for almost the entire runtime.
While “Eenie Meanie” has an enjoyable ensemble in the driver’s seat, the story itself won’t rev many engines. Its most egregious error is that it loses sight of its main character, who starts off as a young woman making choices for herself, until most of her actions/decisions revolve around men who don’t deserve a second of her time. Despite all its best intentions, it’s not an empowering story, at least not until the final few minutes, and even its action scenes could use a touch-up. In the end, this is only the start for Simmons, and hopefully, he’ll be back on track with his next film.
