The Lost Bus - Review 

Rating: 4 out of 5

PAUL Greengrass returns to real life inspiration for his latest, The Lost Bus, a nerve-shredding survival tale that serves up a sobering reminder of nature’s capacity for destruction.

The British director brings trademark intensity to the action, which combines the gritty procedural approach of his earlier United 93 with an affecting human story (a la Captain Phillips), while only really faltering in its decision not to be more political or angry.

But then Greengrass does sometimes opt for the facts to speak for themselves. He doesn’t spoon feed audiences.

The Lost Bus could have been a platform for a think piece or lecture on the dangers of climate change. But the director and his co-writer Brad Ingelsby (of Mare of Easttown and Task fame) only pay very brief lip service to the role of the environment (via a fire chief’s decision to speak out at a press conference).

Some have argued that it really should have been.

But for those with their eye on world events, The Lost Bus does still function as a cautionary tale. The events that form the backdrop to film are still frighteningly relevant.

They are based on Lizzie Johnson’s 2021 book, Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire, which chronicled the 2018 blaze that became the deadliest wildfire in California history, killing 85 people and razing more than 150,000 acres.

It takes on a small segment; the tale of a heroic school-bus driver named Kevin McKay (played by Matthew McConaughey), who rescued 22 school children with a teacher, Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera), which involved driving through the hellish inferno to get them to safety.

But while Greengrass’ film undoubtedly places personal self-sacrifice and bravery above political point-making, viewers can still take away the fact that these types of situations - where towns are evacuated, and lost to the flames - are going to keep happening and that the intensity and reach of these infernos will only get worse.

They can also take heart in viewing the best in human nature, while also feeling completely immersed (sometimes uncomfortably so) in the ensuing action. Greengrass finds ways of drawing you ridiculously close to the flames, so much so that you can practically feel the heat at times.

The set pieces have already been praised by the people involved as strikingly realistic and there is a striking sense of realism to the scenes involving the fires - not to mention a claustrophobic quality that successfully relays just how hot the conditions became and how poor the air quality was.

Greengrass has tried to remain as faithful as possible to the events of the day in terms of the fire escapes, even including a scene where Kevin used his own shirt to create masks for the children in his charge.

Where dramatic licence has been taken is in some of the more personal journeys: most notably, in having Kevin not know the status of his mother and son (who had been removed to safety before he undertook his rescue, so that he could maintain his focus in real life), or the decision to only have one teacher on board the bus, as the second real-life individual did not want to have anything to do with the movie.

In dramatic terms, you can see why the decision was made, so as to allow McConaughey more to lean into. And that he does, creating a hugely endearing character in the process: a man on the edge, struggling to care for an ailing mother, who has recently lost his father and pet dog, and who is deeply estranged from his son.

This is a man for whom bad luck and bad decisions have proved costly; but who views this rescue attempt - born from a decision to do the right thing at potentially great personal cost - as a second chance.

The stakes are heightened to the max, with McConaughey wearing his desperation on his sleeve.

Ferrera is also good value as the somewhat prim teacher, who loosens up as she realises just how serious her predicament is, and how much she must rely on Kevin’s resolve. The two stars strike up a believable chemistry built on slow-building mutual respect.

Of the supporting players, Yul Vazquez is suitably unflappable as the fire chief overseeing the whole rescue operation (a man increasingly aware he is fighting a losing battle), while Ashlie Atkinson also stands out as the bus depot controller whose attitude towards Kevin softens the longer the situation develops.

Hence, while The Lost Bus could be criticised for not making more of an environmental statement, it cannot be faulted for its strong performances and heart-pounding action.

It has to rate as another triumph for Greengrass.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 2hrs 9mins