Long Island, 1992. Stuck in a suburban summer. June (Fran Mae), El (Izzy Marinucci) and Claire (Devan Delugo) are just hanging out all night when Jane remembers a story about the Mid-Night Driver, a man who comes for those who call to him in a ritual. The friends participate in a ritual meant to summon the mysterious spectral Driver (Al Reno).

The ritual itself is classic urban legend creepypasta brought to life: the girls crowd around the telephone in the dark, counting out the digits, tying a black rope to the receiver like some sort of occult umbilical cord and whispering the forbidden request: “Hello, I need a ride.” The rules are simple but strict. Most importantly, you don’t talk to the man behind the wheel. The girls think it’s all a laugh, and when the car doesn’t show, they’re relieved.

Claire, however, has that itch that only a bad idea can scratch. With her parents out of the house, she tries it solo. And this time? The car actually pulls up.

This isn’t your average Uber driver. The guy behind the wheel is a total nightmare: long, stringy hair, a nasty scar carving up his face and fingernails that look like they’ve been clawing through grave dirt.  Claire, clearly not having seen enough horror movies to know better despite watching horror films all night, hops right in.

The drive starts in eerie silence with tension is so thick it could be cut with a rusted blade. She tries to break the ice, but the Driver doesn’t even acknowledge she’s there. He doesn’t look at her. He doesn’t say a word. Those intense, unblinking eyes are glued to the road, keeping the car pointed toward whatever hellish destination he has in mind.

Director Alex Cherney does a good job of capturing the feel of the early 90s. It isn’t just about the props; it’s about the silence of the suburbs, the lack of constant digital connection, and the way an urban legend could travel solely through word of mouth and nervous glances. It’s wistful remembering an analog time we’re never going back to.

I also love that you can only do the ritual after 3 A.M. Let me tell you — nothing good happens after 10 P.M. Each of these rides gets weirder, the quests the Driver sends her on get darker, and we watch, wondering what happens next.

You can watch this either in-person or virtually at the Chattanooga Film Festival. For more info, visit the official site.