Written by Sam Clark 

Certificate: 15

Running time: 106 minutes

Director: Shawn Simmons

A rule that I should abide by more than I do is avoiding film trailers, going into any film completely blind. Yes, on some occasions you may be disappointed at the end result, but the joy of coming out of something that turns out to be bucketloads of fun is always euphoric. Well, it's a pleasure to report that I had a blast Eenie Meanie, although as is the case with some films dumped onto streaming, it is almost certain to fly under the radar. I knew virtually nothing about this apart from the fact it was some sort of heist comedy / thriller, and although there is enough entertainment to be had here, it is a still little empty.

From writer/director Shawn Simmons, Eenie Meanie follows getaway driver Edie (Samara Weaving) who has been working behind the wheel since she was a teenager, having been roped into it by her parents. She has managed to leave this life behind and now works (ironically) as a bank teller. One day her bank is robbed, and she is knocked out by one of the criminals. When she comes to at the hospital, she points out what the robbers got wrong during the heist, much to the surprise of the doctor. When asked how it is she knows these things, she dismisses the question (but we of course know why). Her quiet life is then interrupted when she finds out she is pregnant, forcing her to reconnect with her trouble making ex-boyfriend John (Karl Gusman). It turns out that he owes money to mob boss Andy Garcia, and so she reluctantly agrees to one last job as a driver for a casino heist. They two reconcile with one another, and use this as a chance to run off and start a new life. 

Image credit: IMDb / 20th Century Studios 

Eenie Meanie does manage to deliver an energetic, red bull infused piece of action, but there is a lot of inspiration it uses to get there, and it is just a matter of whether people will take issue with that. The two glaringly obvious examples are Bonnie and Clyde and Baby Driver, which the film is not only gently reminding you of, but positively shoving them straight in your face - which I didn't mind. However, this is only salvaged by the fact that the film manages to deliver the rollercoaster ride it does, had it been anything less it, it would have suffered. 

In truth, those two titles are really just the tip of the iceberg. The whole thing does relish in nineties action comedy aesthetic, ranging from Quentin Tarantino to Shane Black styles of carnage. But, what I was pleasantly surprised by the most was just how much it reminded me of Baby Driver. The chase sequences were surprisingly impressive for what they were, and any film that is able to call that to mind and how much fun it was when you first saw it, is a win in my book. With a tight and tidy one hundred and six minute running time, it's nice to see a film that knows what it should be doing. Much like it's plot, it gets in, does what it needs to, and gets out. Perfectly serviceable stuff. 

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