- Release year: 2025
- Director: Daniel V. Masciari.
- Producers: Matt Fleck, Justin Hank, Bethany Hedges, Jackson Jarvis, and Eliza VanCort.
- Screenplay by: Daniel V. Masciari.
- Cinematography by: Jackson Jarvis.
- Music by: David Ricketts.
Synopsis: a cabbie wants to end his shift before 5 am to watch the International Space Station cross the sky. It won’t be as easy as he hopes.
Shotgun Commentary: wholesome, fun, and original indie piece with an engaging story.
Review
Stationed at Home is a situational comedy with soft strokes of drama and thriller sprinkled all over the narrative. It reminds of a slightly more modern version of Night on Earth (1991), but focused around one taxi driver instead of a few.
Great idea
Ralph (Erik Bjarnar) is a taxi driver who is working the night shift on Christmas. His kind nature and quiet demeanour makes him popular with the customers, who quickly warm up to him. His goal for the day is to finish his shift on time to watch the International Space Station cross the sky of his city, a sort of ritual that makes him feel closer to his deceased mother. Sadly, tons of unexpected adventures will get in his way, making it harder for him to make it on time.
The narrative is designed like a spiderweb where each string is a narrative and the different storylines collide from time to time, the link always being the taxi and its driver. This form of storytelling keeps the experience thrilling and every turn unexpected. Not to mention, it provides the perfect opportunity for small gags or comedic callbacks through brief cameos of some characters in the lives of others.
Fond memories
The most interesting clients Ralph has that fateful night are Harry (Darryle Johnson), George (Peter Foster Morris), Jack (Jeff DuMont), and Stanley (Eric Kincaid). The first meets Ralph at the beginning of the night, completely by chance. They form a strong bond over dinner, a meal that takes place after Ralph wins some money with a scratchcard.
This particular story is paused and restarted after Ralph meets Stanley, but it is a ridiculously relatable story considering how chaotic and insane it is. Regardless of this, everyone has experienced a similar moment in their lives. You make a friend on a night out, someone you instantly trust for no reason. You’ll probably never talk to or even see again after the night is over. Still, that bond of friendship, while fleeting, is incredibly strong during the few hours it lasts.
In the same fashion, all the other stories connect with you on a deeper level than their silly surface might hint. From Stanley’s long-distance relationship and sadness, to Jack’s sketchy behaviour, you have very likely encountered people like these characters in real life. You might even have partied with them as a parenthesis of your night out with friends. Whatever the relation, you will feel the stories tuck at the heartstrings or, at the very least, be very amused with the group’s shenanigans.
Its own world
It is not often that you get to watch new films made in black and white. They might give that vibe by undersaturating the footage, but a full black and white is uncommon and, like Sofa, So Good (2024), one wonders the reason behind this stylistic choice.
The most obvious answer comes hand in hand with the soundtrack. An instrumental composition that mimics the retro vibes of a pre-WWII club. Both images and sounds create an atmosphere that belongs to the past even though it is located in the present. A liminal space that situates the story and the city where it’s located outside of time and space as we know it, doting it of a supernatural/mystical aura.
All in all, Stationed at Home is a wonderful piece with very original and amusing content. It pulls you in from the very minute and stays with you for days to come. All the professionals involved in front and behind the cameras deliver a great work, making this feature absolutely unique and thoroughly enjoyable.
Advice to take from this movie:
- It doesn’t take much to be kind.
- Don’t let people abuse their privileges.
- Always stop if the police signals you to do so.
What’s your take? Have you watched Stationed at Home? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀