One Way (2022) ❲Working ★❳

The bus serves as a modern-day purgatory where Freddy is forced to confront his past through feverish, hallucinatory sequences and desperate phone calls to those he has failed: his nurse ex-girlfriend, his young daughter, and his estranged father. The inclusion of Kevin Bacon as Freddy's "asshole" father adds a layer of intergenerational trauma, as his betrayal further complicates Freddy's slim chances of survival.

Reviewers at Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic have offered mixed reviews, often praising the performances but noting that the film’s "inert" pacing and shaky-cam cinematography can sometimes undermine its suspense. Despite these criticisms, Baird’s direction has been lauded for its "sturdy" noir aesthetic , reminiscent of 1970s American crime thrillers.

The narrative follows Freddy Sullivan, a low-level criminal fleeing Los Angeles after a botched robbery of his crime boss, Victoria "Vic" Menendez. Having stolen a bag filled with cash and cocaine, Freddy boards a bus bound for the California desert while nursing a potentially fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen. One Way (2022)

Vic and her henchmen are closing in as the bus moves toward its destination. Purgatory on Wheels

Directed by Andrew Baird and written by Ben Conway, One Way (2022) is a gritty, neon-drenched crime-noir that explores the physical and moral disintegration of a man at the end of his rope. Starring Colson Baker (Machine Gun Kelly) in a performance that critics have noted for its raw, "injured suffering," the film utilizes a confined setting—a Greyhound-style bus—to mirror the protagonist's lack of options and internal purgatory. A Journey of Physical and Moral Decay The bus serves as a modern-day purgatory where

Freddy is rapidly bleeding out and requires a blood transfusion to survive.

The film’s central tension is derived from two ticking clocks: Vic and her henchmen are closing in as

While Freddy is self-involved, his interactions with fellow passengers—specifically Rachel ( Storm Reid ), a runaway teen, and Will (Travis Fimmel), a mysterious social worker—provide him with an unexpected, albeit forced, opportunity for redemption. Critical Reception and Style