In the gripping thriller ‘The Lost Bus’, Matthew McConaughey delivers a standout performance as a school bus driver caught in a life-or-death situation during the 2018 Camp Fire. Directed by Paul Greengrass, this film is a must-watch for fans of intense drama and stunning visuals.
Critics Praise Matthew McConaughey in ‘The Lost Bus’
Critics agree that Matthew McConaughey delivers a compelling performance as a school bus driver thrust into a harrowing race against time during the 2018 Camp Fire in The Lost Bus, directed by Paul Greengrass. The Apple Original Films thriller also stars Emmy winner America Ferrera and premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival. It opens in select theaters on Sept. 19 and begins streaming on Apple TV+ on Oct. 3.
Intense Performances and Gripping Visuals
Variety‘s Peter Debruge writes that McConaughey “brings his signature intensity and man-of-the-people appeal to a blistering recreation of the 2018 Camp Fire.” In the film, the actor stars alongside his real-life son, Levi McConaughey, who plays the star’s discontented child.
Bilge Ebiri, a critic for New York magazine and Vulture, also praises McConaughey’s performance, writing the actor “was made for parts like this: the good old boy facing extraordinary circumstances. He knows exactly how to sell this character and his desperation.” In addition to his admiration for McConaughey, Ebiri expresses overall enthusiasm for the film, saying, “At heart, The Lost Bus is a disaster movie — a great one — and it has some of the classic moves of a disaster movie, complete with the slightly on-the-nose narrative shorthand designed to introduce characters quickly and efficiently.”
Inspired by True Events
The film, produced by Jamie Lee Curtis and Jason Blum, is inspired by true events and based on the book Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire by Lizzie Johnson. With flames closing in and roads disappearing in smoke, school bus driver Kevin McKay (McConaughey), accompanied by elementary school teacher Mary Ludwig (Ferrera), must drive 22 children through a deadly inferno in a desperate fight for survival. Critics highlight Greengrass’ skillful command of pacing and tension and praise the film’s harrowing visuals of the fire.
“That nervy tension soon gets considerably ramped up and then rarely lets up for the next two-plus hours, an exhausting, assaultive experience aiming to both take us back to the horrors of 2018’s historically destructive Camp fire and to show us what Californians have been facing ever since and will bleakly continue to in the future,” writes Benjamin Lee from The Guardian.
See More ...
Yet, Lee notes that where the film falls short is the script, stating that “it’s a technically proficient drama with the dialogue of a daytime soap, characters clumsily revealing exposition like robots.” Despite this criticism, he acknowledges that the film remains impactful: “The writing might be disappointingly inelegant but The Lost Bus is forthright and frightening regardless.”
Visual Mastery and Critique
“The film is a harrowing watch. It treats the fire as a character unto its own at times, with the camera sweeping through the trees and town, spreading quickly and untamed,” writes Mae Abdulbaki at Screen Rant. She goes on to highlight the film’s craftsmanship, “The Lost Bus’ technical achievements are breathtaking. Visually, the film is stunning,” while acknowledging that the pacing isn’t always consistent. “There are certainly lulls throughout, and the story needed some tightening,” she notes, adding that the performances and action help maintain momentum.
This emphasis on the film’s visual power is echoed by several other critics including Deadline’s Damon Wise, who encourages viewers to see the film on a big screen and writes, “Going into the wildfire is like a portal into another world; aside from the vicious heat, a constant rain of sparks flies through the smoke-choked air, and not only is it hard to see, it’s hard to breathe. All of this is rendered with stunning ease by his VFX team, in scenes that look like a news bulletin from the apocalypse.”
