THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN (2023)

New in select theaters from Relativity Media!
Directed by Warren Skeels.
Written by Warren Skeels, Sharon Y. Copy.
Check out the trailer here!!

In the early seventies, a serial killer makes his way across the Florida countryside abducting and killing women. A young and rebellious girl named Annie (played by THE CONJURING 2’s Madison Wolfe) finds herself targeted by the creepy man in the van, though her parents and siblings refuse to believe her.

THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN is perfectly good PG-13 horror. The rating indicates that you won’t be getting any gratuitous nudity or gore, but the film does still have some teeth, which I found to be refreshing. Most of the time, when younger teens are the stars, a horror movie tends to be pretty bland and there is no real sense of danger. But the danger is ever present in this one. First time director Warren Skeels really gives this film an edge, suggesting a lot of violence without showing it and offering up some strong builds of tension. There is a grungy feel to this one. Dare I say it, THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN has a TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE feel to it with it’s 70’s aesthetic, downhome country vibe, and the gritty, dusty landscape the action takes place in.

THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN also has the benefit of having a compelling protagonist in Madison Wolfe, who was the possessed rascal Janet in THE CONJURING 2. Wolfe is likable and relatable in her role as Annie, the outcast tomboy of her family. She hates to wear dresses, yet still dreams of kissing a boy by the time she is 16. Wolfe perfectly represents that dichotomy of grasping to the innocence of youth while developing into a young woman with all of the dreams, confusion, and anxiety that goes with it. This movie makes Annie’s story just as compelling as the danger looming in the background in the van and I was surprised how invested I was in her story. Usually in these cases, the day-to-day life of the protagonist is the least interesting, but because the conflict between Annie and her family is done in such an interesting way, that balance is achieved. It helps that more experienced actors like Sean Astin and Ali Larter, who play Annie’s oblivious parents, are there to keep things rolling. I think this is a testament to both Wolfe as an actress and Skeels as a director in that both make this somewhat cliched story of a girl growing up so watchable. It helps that Skeels peppers in various abductions throughout the narrative as we get to know Annie’s domestic plight. These scenes are bloodless, but brutal and scary nevertheless.

THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN is based on actual events and I think my main criticism is that the film bounces around in time too often, making the throughway narrative a little muddy. I was able to follow that the other abductions were earlier in the timeline, while the main story is playing out linearly, but still, I could see the way the story bops around in time confusing some viewers. The creepy man in the van, whose face is never revealed, keeps the necklaces of his victims hanging on his rearview mirror. I think the flashbacks would have been less jarring if the creeper touched or held each of these necklaces and then flash back to the abductions and murders.

I also think it isn’t really made clear as to why Annie is the next target of the van creeper. The other abductions were made quickly and on the fly. Most of them being grown women nabbed up after dates, while leaving bars, or other places where a woman would be walking alone a night. With Annie, the van creeper takes his time, watching Annie from the periphery and making multiple attempts before he leaps in for the kill. This really doesn’t fit the creeper’s M.O. according to the flashbacks and there is no reason given, other than some very convenient coincidences, indicating why Annie is targeted and why he attempts to get her numerous times even after failing to achieve his goal over and over.

Still, I was surprised and entertained throughout THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN. Skeels makes the two developing stories interesting all the way through and despite the plot holes, I never felt as if Annie was impervious to the direst of consequences. The danger felt real. And you don’t often get that in PG-13 horror. In a genre where we get tepid and by the book PG-13 horror from Blumhouse numerous times a year, it’s refreshing to see a film like THE MAN IN THE WHITE VAN deliver the story, the acting, the writing, and the scares at such a capable and fun level. I recommend this one for those of all ages who love high suspense and true tension.

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Music Written by Tim Heidecker
Music & Arrangement by Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy https://youtu.be/PDySbxQgZMg
(I do not own this music)