|
|
|
|
|
Many people dream of traveling the world—of seeing different places and exploring different cultures. But in Zero, two Americans abroad find themselves racing together from beaches to city streets in a fight for their lives after their travel plans take an unexpected turn.
Zero begins as an American man wakes up on a bus in Dakar, Senegal, with a bomb strapped to his chest. He’s given a phone and a headset and told by the voice on the other end that he’ll be given five tasks to complete before the timer runs out in 10 hours. But #1 (Hus Miller) soon learns that he’s not alone. And when he meets #2 (Cameron McHarg), the two men are forced to work together to complete their tasks while trying to figure out a way out of the situation.
As these two nameless American men race from one task to another, they leave a whole lot of chaos, destruction, and death in their wake. It’s clear that there must be some kind of reasoning behind their mission—something that gives a purpose to these seemingly random bombings and deaths—but viewers spend most of the film in the dark. Instead, we’re left to race along with #1 and #2 blindly, with little knowledge of who these men are, why they’ve been chosen, who’s controlling their movements, and why. All we know is that the men supposedly represent their nation’s wealth and violence—a shady businessman and a former soldier—and that their time is running out.
The action and suspense of the missions help to build a fast-moving thriller. These men are constantly on the move, tracked by an ever-present drone that often provides footage from above. Their missions often seem strange: stealing phones, delivering boxes, bargaining with drug dealers. And they find themselves traveling through all kinds of communities in Dakar along the way. By choosing to keep the reasoning behind the kidnappings and the bombings hidden until the end of the film, the filmmakers keep the focus on the action—but revealing that information earlier would have given viewers more to think about while following these two men on their time-sensitive quest.
Zero takes viewers on a fast-paced chase through a distant land, offering brief glimpses of the life and culture along the way. There’s definitely a method to all of the madness—but viewers will have to wait until the end to feel the real weight of the characters’ actions.
You can race along with #1 and #2 when Zero arrives on theaters and VOD on April 11, 2025.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
|
|
|
|
