Posted in: Hulu, Kaitlyn Booth, Movies, Review | Tagged: Eenie Meanie

Eenie Meanie Review: A Solid Heist Film That Doesn't Remake The Wheel

Eenie Meanie isn't trying to overhaul the heist or car genres into something new, but it shows up with all of the things we expect from the genre, only polished to a shine.

Eenie Meanie isn't going to remake the wheel in terms of heist movies, but the excellent driving scene and Samara Weaving's continued efforts to prove what a badass she is elevate a good film into a pretty damn good movie.

Director: Shawn Simmons
Summary: A reformed teenage getaway driver is dragged back into her unsavory past when a former employer offers her a chance to save the life of her chronically unreliable ex-boyfriend.

Yet again, a 20th Century Studios film that should have been in theaters is getting a streaming-only release, which means not enough people will see it. Between that and the lackluster marketing by all involved, you'd think Eenie Meanie was a dumpster fire worthy of being buried, but it's not. It isn't amazing, but it's a solid film that would have fit in really well in the crop of movies in theaters right now. This is a late summer blockbuster done right, and if there were a month it could have succeeded in theaters, it would be this one, yet here we are. 

In terms of story, Eenie Meanie has one that you've heard plenty of times before. An idiot man (Karl Glusman) gets himself in way over his head. His on-and-off girlfriend (Samara Weaving), who is way too good to be with the likes of him (and that's taking into account her role as a getaway driver for some major robberies, and even taking that into account, she is still way too good for him), steps in and saves his ass. The saving includes procuring three million dollars, so Edie and John are going along on a heist, working with and meeting all sorts of shady characters. John is too busy walking around waving so many red flags that it's amazing that he didn't flag down a commercial airplane.

It's a testament to how good the writing from writer/director Shawn Simmons is and how well Glusman plays John that he is the most infuriating person, and you want to slap him for the entire runtime of the movie. The movie also seems very aware of how awful John is because they only make halfhearted attempts to try and make you like him, but even those efforts are few and far between. You want to reach through the screen, sit Edie down, and explain to her what a trauma bond is. Since the film doesn't make many efforts to make John likable, it renders a lot of the tension in the story meaningless because Edie is only involved because of him. You're left wondering if any man is worth this much trouble, let alone this man (spoiler alert: no one is, and he isn't).

However, what Eenie Meanie lacks in originality in terms of its story, it makes up for with the cars. We haven't seen a good car-based heist movie in a hot minute now, and since there are multiple reasons that Baby Driver is a bit awkward to watch, Eenie Meanie is here to remind you how car stunts are done. In the only featurette for this film (again, no marketing), the crew emphasizes that driving cars is the only way to make car scenes look good. So that's what they did, and Weaving admitted she learned how to drive on the set of this film. Simmons does a great job of not overcomplicating the car scenes either. No one is jumping a car from one building to another; this is just well-executed moves that don't seem impossible.

Eenie Meanie also makes the smart decision to keep it moving and not overstay its welcome. Unlike another film we spoke about today, the 94-minute runtime for this movie is perfect. We don't need to show a ton of the planning stage for this heist because these aren't high-class Ocean's Eleven style thieves; these are a bunch of regular people out in the world making a lot of bad decisions. We don't need a lot of Edie's backstory; the brief moments they talk about it, and the prologue say enough. The heist isn't that complicated, so we didn't need to dedicate half the runtime to trying to pull it off. All of this adds up to a movie that hits the ground and doesn't stop. Any slower moments are soaked in the tension of what stupid thing John will do that will get him or Edie killed at any given moment.

Eenie Meanie isn't trying to overhaul the heist or car genres into something new, but it shows up with everything we expect from the genre, only polished to a shine. Sometimes, people can overthink all of this and believe that if they aren't saying something about the genre they are working in, they shouldn't say anything. However, there is plenty to be said about someone who comes in and does exactly what you expect, really, really well. It's a shame that these excellent car stunts, directing, editing, and performances won't get a chance ot be seen on the big screen where they would be right at home.

Eenie Meanie

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Review by Kaitlyn Booth

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7.5/10

Eenie Meanie isn't going to remake the wheel in terms of heist movies, but the excellent driving scene and Samara Weaving's continued efforts to prove what a badass she is elevate a good movie into a pretty damn good movie.

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