REVIEW: “Wardriver” (2026)

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In the movie “Wardriver,” Dane DeHaan stars as Cole, a small-time criminal who steals people’s financial information. He does this by hacking Wi-Fi networks and tampering with ATMs to skim card details. Cole then uses this information to quietly drain bank accounts, avoiding detection. He sticks to small amounts to stay under the radar, but gets caught up in a risky cybercrime that he can’t get out of.

Rebecca Thomas’ film, “Wardriver,” starts with a deliberately slow burn. It’s a crime thriller that takes a while to build momentum, with the first half largely focused on the protagonist, Cole, driving around Salt Lake City while engaging in somewhat mundane activities like typing, eating lollipops, and vaping. Despite this slow pace, the script by Daniel Casey effectively establishes Cole’s isolated and lonely life, though it doesn’t immediately create a lot of dramatic tension.

The story gains momentum when Cole is attacked by a local thug named Oscar (Mamoudou Athie). We discover Oscar is a doorman at an upscale restaurant often visited by a young woman, Sarah (Sasha Calle), and a man he thinks is her father. Oscar concocts a scheme to steal money from Sarah’s father, using Sarah without her knowledge. To succeed, he needs a hacker, so he strongarms Cole into helping with the robbery.

Cole successfully steals over $800,000 from Sarah’s account, resolving his issues with Oscar. However, he soon realizes the man behind the account, Mark Bilson (played by Jeffrey Donovan), is a highly influential lawyer with strong political ties – and not Sarah’s father. Bilson claims Sarah stole from him, and Cole, feeling both guilty and attracted to her, decides to help. He quickly finds himself in a much more complicated situation than he anticipated.

The last part of “Wardriver” gets more exciting and includes some unexpected turns. While the ending doesn’t answer everything, it doesn’t feel frustrating, mostly because we never truly get to know the characters. Despite good acting, we remain somewhat detached from their stories and struggles, keeping our connection to them fairly shallow.

Thomas’ direction is strong, particularly her camera work and how well she lets her actors perform. She also successfully creates a moody, atmospheric feel reminiscent of classic neo-noir films. However, the story and characters feel underdeveloped. With more focus on character depth, “Wardriver” could have been a truly outstanding crime thriller instead of just a decent one.

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2026-03-19 17:57