It’s difficult to wrap one’s mind around the fact that Uber is only a decade old; the near-ubiquity of the company (and its competitor Lyft) in metropolitan areas makes it feel as though ride-sharing services have been around forever. Considering the popularity of the company around the world, it’s a shock that a film that utilizes the idea of ride-sharing as its central premise hasn’t come out sooner, but better late than never: “Stuber” is coming later this year, and its first trailer has arrived.
The action comedy stars Kumail Nanjiani (who also played a part-time Uber driver in his film “The Big Sick”) and Dave Bautista, whose very different onscreen personas should provide great chemistry and comedy.
When a mild-mannered Uber driver named Stu (Nanjiani) picks up a passenger who turns out to be a cop (Bautista) hot on the trail of a brutal killer, he’s thrust into a harrowing ordeal where he desperately tries to hold onto his wits, his life, and his five-star rating.
It’s a nice flip of Michael Mann’s modern classic “Collateral,” which saw Jamie Foxx’s driver roped into a night of danger when assassin Tom Cruise enters his cab. “Stuber” finds itself in a great position coming into the summer; action-driven buddy comedies, like “Central Intelligence” and “The Hitman’s Bodyguard,” have seen huge box office returns in the past few years, and the rising stars of both Nanjiani and Bautista won’t hurt the marketing department any.
“Stuber” also stars “The Raid” standout Iko Uwais as the film’s villain, Natalie Morales, Jimmy Tatro, Mira Sorvino, and Bautista’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” co-star Karen Gillan. The film comes from “What If” director Michael Dowse, who proved his comedy chops with cult hockey film “Goon.”
“Stuber” drives into theaters on July 12, 2019. You can watch the trailer below.