The film’s central tension is derived from two ticking clocks:
The bus serves as a modern-day purgatory where Freddy is forced to confront his past through feverish, hallucinatory sequences and desperate phone calls to those he has failed: his nurse ex-girlfriend, his young daughter, and his estranged father. The inclusion of Kevin Bacon as Freddy's "asshole" father adds a layer of intergenerational trauma, as his betrayal further complicates Freddy's slim chances of survival. One Way (2022)
While Freddy is self-involved, his interactions with fellow passengers—specifically Rachel ( Storm Reid ), a runaway teen, and Will (Travis Fimmel), a mysterious social worker—provide him with an unexpected, albeit forced, opportunity for redemption. Critical Reception and Style The film’s central tension is derived from two
The narrative follows Freddy Sullivan, a low-level criminal fleeing Los Angeles after a botched robbery of his crime boss, Victoria "Vic" Menendez. Having stolen a bag filled with cash and cocaine, Freddy boards a bus bound for the California desert while nursing a potentially fatal gunshot wound to the abdomen. Critical Reception and Style The narrative follows Freddy
Ultimately, One Way is less about the action of a heist and more about the psychological weight of a man’s final choices as he faces the literal and figurative end of the road. Movie Review – One Way (2022) - Flickering Myth
The Desperate Transit: A Study of Survival and Sin in One Way (2022)