‘The Lost Bus’ review: McConaughey braves the flames

Paul Greengrass delivers high tension and emotional stakes with The Lost Bus. 

The “based on a true story” film has evolved into its own distinct genre over the last few decades. For better or for worse, we live in a world where movie-worthy events occur almost daily. While many are dark and depressing, there are a fair number that show the light and the miracles in times of darkness and hopelessness. Director Paul Greengrass is no stranger to this (United 93, Captain Phillips)and has proven he can handle it with care. Rest assured, he’s done it again with the new Apple TV+ film The Lost Bus.

The film takes place in 2018 during the California “Camp Fire,” which was considered the deadliest wildfire in the state’s history. Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey) is a school bus driver going through a depressing point in his personal life. His relationship with his son is strained, his mother is getting older, his dog just had to be put to sleep, and his job isn’t paying enough to survive. And just when his life couldn’t get any harder, he’s thrust into his biggest challenge yet when he’s called upon to transport a group of children and a teacher (America Ferrera) from a school that is in the massive wildfire’s path.

Greengrass has proven multiple times that he can effectively adapt real-life events into dramatic stories. His previous films took traumatic and gripping stories from history and managed to find the humanity and strength amongst all of the chaos and fear. The Lost Bus follows in these footsteps by crafting a relatable and human story during a truly devastating disaster. The way we see the change in emotion and tone through various characters’ eyes as the fire grows stronger adds a whole new layer of engagement to the film.

The Lost Bus only loses steam due to some divisive directorial decisions.

McConaughey and Ferrera each bring some of their best performances to this film. The beginning reveals the depths of Kevin’s sadness and pain, which McConaughey conveys primarily through facial expressions and glances that are more powerful than any lengthy monologue. The scenes on the bus in the heart of the fire were already intense and terrifying, but McConaughey’s relatable and believable performance amplifies the intensity. Ferrera conveys the sense of calm panic that a teacher in charge of multiple children in that situation would be struggling to maintain.

The one problem I had with the film was a relatively big one. While the film was visually impressive and the shots of the fire were haunting and surreal, the way they were filmed caused a bit of a distraction. Almost all the intense sequences involving the bus escaping the fire were filmed as if the audience were chasing the bus in a horror movie-type manner. At first, this was bearable, and kind of made sense given that the fire is basically the “monster” of the story. However, after the third time, this began to feel big, aggressive, and disorienting. I found myself not feeling the intended feelings of stress and panic, and was more displeased by the fire scenes.

The bottom line.

When you finish watching The Lost Bus and see the facts about the fire back in 2018, it’s hard not to feel a knot in your stomach as you realize that another devastating fire would then hit California again a few years later. Films like these can be either therapeutic or painful, depending on how their filmmakers handle the subject matter. In this case, the director, writers, and actors took the time to find the acts of courage, bravery, and compassion during this unforgettable time in the history of our world. And although the filmmaking style detracted from that a bit, overall, The Lost Bus is a movie worth watching if you’re looking for a beacon of light in this dark world we find ourselves in today.

The Lost Bus is available now to stream on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer below.

Images courtesy of Apple TV+. 

Tyler Carlsen

From a young age, Tyler has been amazed by filmmaking and writing. When he’s not watching movies in theaters, he also enjoys playing video games and binging one of the numerous shows he’s watching at any given moment. Working with The Young Folks was a highlight of his writing career and he is looking forward to this new adventure with In Between Drafts!