The Ride (2025) Review: A Late-Night Cab Ride Turns Tense

This The Ride review looks at a compact Malayalam drama-thriller from director Riteesh Menon. The film puts five strangers in one cab on a night when a simple shortcut changes everything. It runs about 100 minutes and relies on mood and unease more than spectacle.

The Ride Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

The Ride follows a rideshare driver, Sanju, who takes on a late-night fare. The route starts out routine, but it soon bends toward unfamiliar detours. As the cab moves deeper into the night, the people inside it begin to show that they are not who they first seemed.

The film's marketing describes five strangers sharing one cab, and that is a useful way to picture the plot. It is a confined, character-driven setup, and the road ahead is the main source of uncertainty. I will not go beyond the opening act here, because the film's pleasure is in not knowing where the next turn leads.

The script is by Suhaas Shetty. It leans on the old but reliable idea that a closed space and a stranger's secrets make a good recipe for suspense.

What Works in The Ride

The premise is the film's strongest card. A cab at night is a neat, believable trap, and it keeps the story tight and focused. There is no sprawling subplot to get lost in.

• Tension over shock: the film aims to unsettle through atmosphere and doubt rather than gore or loud jolts. One IMDb user describes it as a nerve-jangling thriller, though that is a single viewer's opinion.

• Short running time: at roughly 100 minutes, the story has little room to sag.

• A grounded hook: rideshare culture is familiar to many viewers, so the danger feels close to everyday life.

Fans of the drama genre will also find that the film cares about its characters' motives, not just its twists.

The Ride Cast and Performances

The cast is led by Sudhi Koppa as Sanju, the driver who anchors the story. Ann Sheetal plays Nithya, one of the people drawn into the journey. Srikant Murali appears as Anil, and Prasant Murali plays Ali.

Harish Uthaman and Maala Parvathi also feature in the ensemble. In a film set mostly inside one vehicle, performance matters a great deal, because faces and small shifts in tone carry the suspense. The ensemble approach suits that need, as the story depends on each passenger feeling plausible and slightly unreadable.

Where The Ride Stumbles

Critical response looks mixed. Filmibeat lists a critics' score of 2 out of 5 and a user score of 2.5 out of 5, though I could not find the written reviews behind those figures. IMDb shows a very high 9.2 out of 10, but it comes from a small number of user reviews, so treat it with caution.

That gap hints at the usual risks of this kind of thriller. A one-location setup can feel repetitive if the escalation is uneven, and twist-driven stories can strain belief when motives come into focus. Viewers who want big set pieces may also find the restrained approach too slow. With a story this reliant on surprise, any predictable beat costs the film more than it would a louder action movie.

Is The Ride Worth Watching?

Yes, if you enjoy small-scale, mood-first thrillers, The Ride is worth a look. Its short length and clean premise make it an easy watch, and the cast gives it a human face. Just keep your expectations measured, since the published scores are divided.

It is not a film that will reinvent the genre. It is a lean night-drive story with a hook that works and a mixed reception to match. If the idea of a shortcut gone wrong appeals to you, it delivers on that promise. You can check the cast and user ratings on IMDb before deciding.

If you want more of the same energy, browse our action movie reviews or see how another recent release fared in our 6 Jilake review.

Who Will Enjoy The Ride

• Viewers who like contained, single-night thrillers with a simmering sense of dread.

• Fans of Malayalam cinema looking for a short, low-key genre film.

• Anyone who prefers atmosphere and suspicion over gore and big action.