Netflix is set to remove Olivia Colman’s Irish drama Joyride very soon. Originally released in 2022, the film follows a 12-year-old boy called Mully (Charlie Reid) who decides to steal a taxi to escape from his indebted father.
However, he isn’t prepared when he finds a woman named Joy (Colman) in the backseat with a baby, who is planning to give her baby away to a friend. Together, the pair journey across Ireland in their respective attempts to escape, and discover friendship and learning.
Joyride has been streaming on Netflix, though if you’re yet to catch it you only have a few weeks left to do so, as the final day to watch is 31 July.
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The movie from director Emer Reynolds and writer Ailbhe Keogan was called “impressive” by Film Ireland Magazine and “beautiful, stylish and sneakily soulful”.
Loud and Clear Reviews wrote that it is “an enjoyable watch that brings forth some important topics and certainly shows the audience some incredible cast performances”.
“While it certainly opts for broad strokes, lightweight humour and obvious lessons, what follows after that wacky, unlikely set-up is a considered, if somewhat melodramatic, study of motherhood and family,” added Empire.
What To Watch added: “Joyride is a road movie that treads a familiar path […] Luckily, the film plays out in just over 90 minutes, so we’re never left languishing in a familiar moment for long.”
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Praising the performances, Radio Times said: “Colman and the lively Reid bring conviction to the serio-comic proceedings and generate plenty of sparks as the damaged odd couple.”
Over on IMDb, one fan called it an “emotional ride”, adding: “I watched this on my flight home from England, and I cried so many times just from being so emotionally invested. It was charming, raw, and endearing.”
“It is probably a movie that embodies the real things of life. Many people have difficult fates. But sometimes all we need is love and understanding,” another added.
Joyride is streaming on Netflix until 31 July.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.