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Review by James Lindorf
By the end of the 1950s, nearly 90% of homes had a television. Over time, local news broadcasts were joined by regional, bi-coastal, and national broadcasts, eventually giving birth to the 24-hour news cycle with the launch of CNN in 1980. The constant flow of information has spread joy, stoked fears, and made life more difficult for the most dangerous among us, serial killers. Director and co-writer Warren Skeels takes us back to the early ‘70s, when an idyllic neighborhood would have no idea about the dangers lurking on the interstate. Kaleidoscope Home Entertainment is excited to bring “The Man in the White Van” to DVD, Blu-ray, and Digital platforms on September 29th.
Annie (Madison Wolfe) is the rebellious daughter of Richard (Sean Astin) and Helen Williams (Ali Larter). She loves her horse and her little brother, Daniel (Gavin Warren), while constantly bickering with her boy-obsessed older sister, Margaret (Brec Bassinger). Annie is just starting to notice boys, but she still prefers long trail rides and not being pressured into shaving her legs. Annie’s carefree existence in rural Florida is turned upside down as she is stalked by an ominous man in a white van. Her fondness for stretching the truth and lack of evidence pit the 15-year-old against her fate as his next victim.
Screenwriters Warren Skeels and Sharon Y. Cobb were inspired by not just the convicted murderer Billy Mansfield but one of his survivors. Most thrillers of this nature focus on the cop, psychiatrist, or journalist doing their best to hunt down the murderer. “The Man in the White Van” employs the true crime element as a broad framework, supported by elements of the coming-of-age and slasher genres. Annie is starting to lose some of her innocence and coming to terms with the idea that her actions have consequences. She doesn’t buy into her mother’s old-fashioned notions of what it takes to be a “lady”. She thinks Margaret could spend time thinking about something else. Still, she is very interested in the new boy at school, romantic gossip, and tips on how to make a kiss French. While 15 is probably a little old to be learning the moral of the boy who cried wolf, it gives her an increased air of vulnerability to balance the Man in the van.
The titular Man in the white van is only that. He has no name, no face, and no motive. He is a less focused version of The Shape. He moves from state to state, year after year, destroying lives and never leaving the shadows. One of the first missteps of the film is its usage of time. The vast majority of the film is spent with Annie, but we are given flashbacks from the previous years as he claims another victim. Unfortunately, there is no clear delineation between the past and the present, and it feels like everything is happening at the same time. Skeels wanted the tension of a ticking clock without building in the importance of it. Annie never appears to be in more danger because the counter flipped from 72 to 73. Instead, it offers the only bits of action in a vast ocean of sameness. Once the Man is on the scene in Florida until the climax, there is little escalation.
The movie is kept afloat by its good cinematography, set and costume designs, which serve as a great representation of the 1970s, and strong performances by everyone, especially Wolfe and Bassinger. Unfortunately, treading water is not the same as gliding through it like Katie Ledecky. The inability to ratchet up the tension because the killer needed to remain a mystery and teach Annie a lesson about lying. Then moving away from true crime to supernatural slasher in the final minutes keeps “The Man in the White Van” in the entertaining but forgettable section of the pool. There is plenty of talent on display in front of and behind the camera; it just needs repetition to be the best that it can be, and I wouldn’t be shocked if Skeels one day makes a great film, but at a 2 out of 5, “The Man in the White Van” isn’t it.
Director: Warren Skeels
Producer: Anne Marie Gillen, Terri Lubaroff, Paul Scanlan, Warren Skeels, Michael Nole
Screenwriter: Warren Skeels, Sharon Y. Cobb
Distributor: Relativity Media
Production Co: Legion M
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 2024
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 7, 2025
Release Date (Physical): Sep 29,2025
Runtime: 1h 45m
