In today’s rideshare app-happy society, we rarely think twice about hopping into a total stranger’s car for a ride to our next destination. We don’t hesitate to type in our home address for said stranger, trusting that Uber or Lyft must have vetted them to some degree. Nor do we worry about exactly what might have happened to earn that 4.8-star driver those mysterious 1-star ratings — after all, they’re just a few dark marks on an otherwise unblemished record. But what if blissful ignorance is all it takes to turn a lonesome ride on a cold night into a trap for the unsuspecting?
Raging Stallion’s “Overdrive,” helmed by Ben Rush and Steve Cruz, offers an explosive answer to that question. It’s filled with the kind of pent-up slasher-stalker aggression that demands sexual release in the same way that a top wolf hungers for a bottom rabbit to sink his slavering fangs into.
Derek’s sex scene with Paul is definitely a power exchange, as both men vie for dominance in what will ultimately become a deadly cat-and-mouse game.
When an eerily quiet driver for rideshare service “Let It Ride” (Derek Kage) makes a routine airport pickup, his passenger (Paul Wagner) begins regaling him with tales of overseas fun with exotic gents. Soon Kage is swerving into a garage for a savage carside bang with Wagner — but this isn’t just some innocent post-flight flight of fancy. After Kage delivers Wagner to his home, he starts texting like an obsessed lover right away, and it isn’t long before things turn decidedly deadly.
“Many horror films and thrillers include a sexual component,” Rush points out. “Think of all those summer camp slashers. So there’s precedent and a proven recipe for these genres to mix well. Aggression, obsession and lust can all be facets of a sexual experience, and ‘Overdrive’ doesn’t so much mix them as blur them.”
Indeed, the lines get crossed, cut, severed and then stitched back together again — with all the sweaty backside daggering, throat fucking and ass-clapping aplomb fans would expect from a diabolical romp in gritty urban fantasy. But none of it could stick the landing with sweat-drenched finesse were it not for the casting.
“I wrote the script with Derek Kage in mind,” Rush explains. “His intensity, stunning good looks, acting ability — and that voice! — are so important to the character. Thankfully, we were able to align schedules when it came time for physical production. Derek’s sex scene with Paul is definitely a power exchange, as both men vie for dominance in what will ultimately become a deadly cat-and-mouse game.”
Meanwhile, Cruz had long been a fan of Wagner’s work and felt that, given the performer’s “dad next door” vibe, he would have “the perfect temperament and fan appeal to play the unsuspecting victim.”
In directing Kage, the duo discovered that bringing out his killer instincts and brooding menace primarily just required giving him free rein.
“Derek needed very little guidance on the set,” Cruz notes. “He came fully prepared and never broke character once, not even during the sex. Over the course of my career, only a handful of performers have been that committed and prepared for such a challenging role.”
Also crucial to bringing “Overdrive” to life was the creative dynamic between Cruz and Rush, both before and during production, which enabled them to synergistically capitalize on their distinct skills and viewpoints.
“From the day I met Ben, I was impressed by his creativity and passion for the work that we do,” Cruz says. “I jumped at the chance to work with him on several projects right away, and the creative partnership has been moving in a great direction. I have grown to really respect his attention to detail. Each creative story he writes is like a puzzle that I get to create from the ground up. My work is instantly elevated.”
Meanwhile, Rush considers Cruz a legend in the business, and has always admired his style, talent and sense of humor.
“It’s a rare treat to work with someone who shares your vision as well as your high standard of professionalism and production value,” he says.
From the “Let It Ride” headquarters scene with Falcon exclusive Beau Butler and Brogan, to the gritty bathhouse and surprise living room finale, Rush and Cruz worked to ensure that scenes centered on supporting cast members allowed them to shine while the side plots served the main storyline.
“Every character in ‘Overdrive’ is important, as each propels the narrative and builds the level of tension necessary for a horror film to be compelling,” Rush says. “I write and direct with the understanding that a movie is truly the sum of its parts — if a part is missing, it doesn’t work. Each performer is a star in this project.”
As for what went into the physicality of the slayings and altercations as Kage carries out his brutal vendetta, Cruz shares that the finale was highly choreographed, shot by shot and frame by frame.
“It was far more controlled than you’d think,” he says. “Everything from body positioning to exact moves to where bodies should fall. We built time into the schedule for blocking and then rehearsed it until it was perfect. Preparedness was the secret to successfully capturing what we wanted on film.”
So, how do you create believable post-coital homicide scenes that bring out the best in your performers? For Rush, it was important to structure the storytelling in a way that makes clear that the murders in the narrative are not directly connected to the sex.
“For example, each ‘kill’ comes along after characters have had consensual and pleasurable sex,” he points out. “In most scenes, they happen in different locations altogether.”
Another key element for elevating the production was clearly communicating expectations to the cast during shoots.
“In a scripted, story-driven project like ‘Overdrive,’ there’s little room for improvisation,” Cruz notes. “Of course, if a performer wants to interpret their character in a particular way, we will work with them to define it, as long as it stays true to the writing. Ultimately, the script decides.”
For Rush, one effective tactic is meeting with the performers before production begins.
“Virtual or in-person ‘table reads’ are very helpful inasmuch as they allow the filmmakers and the performers to talk about specific lines, delivery, style and character motivation prior to the start of principal photography,” he observes.
Now, at the other end of the production timeline, with the movie wrapped and released, should viewers interpret its somewhat ambiguous ending as meaning that they should expect more to come?
“There are a few directions the ending could go,” Rush coyly teases. “But if I say more, I might ruin the sequel. Oops! Did I just let that slip?”
Reflecting on the finished product, Rush and Cruz lavish praise on studio and production team members alike.
“I’m really proud of this movie, and I’m proud also to work with a studio like Falcon/NakedSword,” Rush says. “They’re innovative and envelope-pushing, exploring styles, genres and material that is at once undeniably hot, thought-provoking and entertaining. As far as ‘Overdrive,’ the finished product surpassed my expectations — in no small part because of the amazing cast and Steve Cruz and Bruno Bond’s editing savvy.”
Cruz likewise tips his hat to the editing team as a critical component in executing a movie about executions, carnal lust and the drama that ensues.
“In the editing room, as I was assembling the footage and applying sound and style effects, it all fit together so beautifully,” he says. “Taking the project from a script to storyboards to actually filming it and then putting it together — it was such an exciting process. I edit alongside my partner, Bruno Bond, and I feel privileged that I get to bring the vision all the way to the finish line.”
