Wheels (II) (2014) User Reviews

Lame and a bit offensive

[gotmog13 · 6/10 · 26 May 2019]

My first review on imdb. Why for this particular movie? Because after watching it with my nephew, who is disabled, like myself, we were both very disappointed and a tad offended.

When the main protagonist meets Drake, the movie is fun and wild. Drugs, guns, girls. We get some flashbacks that are a part of the final "twist", which is some psychological BS. Which is fine, except whoever wrote this probably never heard of muscular atrophy. Even this aside, the ending is kinda selfish on the part of the main character.

8 for the first part and Drake, whose story and motives were better suited as the base of the movie.

3 for the ending and surprise revelation.

Average movie (some minor spoilers)

[astrostar-18501 · 6/10 · 29 September 2020]

Firstly, when you see so many 10's, then your B.S. antenna should be up, this movie is a 6 or 6 1/2 at best. I will say this, Patrick Hume as "Drake" was great in it, that guy's got a future for sure. One can understand where the writer was trying to take this, trying to show how sometimes the despair of being a paraplegic, the self recrimination, the sense of hopelessness etc, can lead people to try and escape their reality through drug use and even suicide. Some of the scenes of drug use, attempted suicide and the violence made me cringe, I'll admit, it's not for someone with a weak stomach. Despite some good potential in this story, some of the plot lines were just not believable. Even if our two protagonists engaged in hold ups (laugh at that idea if you will) or faking injuries to scam money out of strangers to buy drugs, how long could they do it before the police arrived and arrested them? Are they going to try and outrun the police in their wheelchairs? No wonder you never see a cop in sight. Their are a lot of flashbacks in this movie, hinting at the cause of Donavon's paralysis, but the denouement, the final unraveling and explanation of it at the end of the movie, is just not credible. I won't spoil it for you, but suffice to say, it beggars belief. It is an interesting movie, quite unlike any I've seen before, but ultimately, it's let down by some mediocre acting (with the exception of Patrick Hume) and some glaring plot holes.

No - it's not a masterpiece, but it's good and emotional - SPOILER ALERT

[artturi-nurmi · 7/10 · 26 May 2021]

This review is mainly for people who have seen the movie.

Yes it's very well produced, acting is world class too.

Definitely not your mainstream drama.

But.

Sixth sense anyone?

The mother poisoning the kids so he couldn't walk anymore.

And then our second main character: Wife pregnant, drunk driving openly in front of the pregnant wife => accident => paralysis and wife killed.

Who believes that? The pregnant wife just watching him drink while driving and smiling about it?

Sorry, but they should've spent a bit more time on the scripting side to polish the story.

Drugs, Prostitutes and Suicide. What a rush!

[LouisNormandin · 14 September 2014]

Drugs, prostitutes, suicide and a cute little bunny. I have seen tons of indie films this year and this is the one that grabbed me. Wheels is gritty, raw and and is so well done on so many levels. The score for the film is so fantastic and Mickey's fading memory was captured so very well. DO NOT MISS THIS FILM! This movie hooks you with great underwater darkness and by the time it's over, you feel like you have been hit over the head with reality. There's a true essence of pain that prevails through the end of the film and when it's all said and done, you walk out feeling the pain of a man who has been through hell to find himself on the other side.

One of the best movies ever! No kidding!

[nemanjac · 10/10 · 23 May 2018]

I have watched the movie Wheels last night and I am still wondering why this movie is not in the IMDB top 250. Ok, low budget, but still, we have movies like Clerks, and that movie has a cult status. The film is so complex and well structured, the actors are memorable, the music is well done... everything about this movie is how it supposed to be in one all time movie classic. Mickey and Drake, the main characters of the movie can easily become one of the favorite movie couples ever, like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Please watch this movie, and spread the word. Wheels are.. just great!

You had me at Suicidal Paraplegic Junkies.

[lindamit · 10/10 · 13 February 2018]

I mean come on...heroin, wheelchairs, hookers, cocaine and suicide. YES PLEASE! I am sick of the mainstream formulaic bull. This film had so many original moments, twists and turns. I don't want to give to much away but oh boy! Its really nice film! Did I mention the story is so ahead of it's time. The first time I saw this movie, I was like "what in the hell am I watching", but in a good way. Then before you know it, you are hooked on it like Mick is hooked on heroin. This is one of the best movies I have ever watched. Top 5 easy.

Great Movie

[melissarmcdougall · 10/10 · 18 September 2018]

I really enjoyed this movie. It probably didn't get a lot of buzz because no one in it is famous. But I thought it was great. Better than the other stuff out there on Netflix for sure.

i dont know what to believe....

[ops-52535 · 6/10 · 15 May 2020]

Because it has got some weird contradictions spread out all over the film. is it the story of a deathseeker? is it the true story about a life in a wheelchair? is the main really a paraplegic or is it just katatonic psychosis due to horrible situations in his childhood? there are so many unanswered questions and flashbacks of memories in this drama that starts with a handful of more or less functional suicide attempts, as far as you can go when bound to a wheelchair. the lust of selfkill fades a bit when he bumps into a wheelchair bum, that gives no praise to the lord in hheaven, and creates havock whereever he goes. add on alcohol and speedballing and armed robberies, and youll have to wear your speedoes to escape the four wheeled doubleheaded pullengine on the loose

its a hard film to watch if your on drugs, are depressed or simply are a wheelchair user. why? well its got some realism to it that ive never seen before, so watch out.

its a very good film till it reaches far to deep, its like a smoldering fire that may flame or not. the 2 main actors are over the benchmark of acting capabilities, and the filmo, edit and musical score are so well knit together , so it is a kind of must see film. the grumpy old man whos capabel of handling a wheelchair do recommend.

Plot twists and a gritty, moving realism

[garadonshan · 10/10 · 4 July 2018]

'Wheels' is both both moving and confronting. The story powerfully builds momentum and keeps pace throughout the film, and its ending is the powerful culmination of an excellently told narrative.

Much of the power of the story is derived from elements such as prostitution, drug use, and paraplegic protagonists functioning as the focus of the story, rather than as props enriching it. Instead of wheelchairs being only used as symbols amidst other metaphors, the wheelchairs and, more importantly, the lifestyles and problems they cause or affect are what matters. The result is a unabashed exposé of life in a vulnerable, angry, seemingly helpless state deeply reminiscent of many human struggles, but here seen at a revealing extreme. The openness of the story to the brokenness it portrays makes the eventual revelations much more moving and meaningful, in that they are not only plot twists, but commentaries on how deeply our perspectives on our lives can affect our choices and desires.

No scene seems out of place nor unused in delivering the steady succession of narrative impacts, and beautiful cinematography emphasizes the brutal reality of the story of the story throughout. In short, I highly recommend this film as being excellently filmed, fantastically written, and highly enjoyable.

Overrated

[Ahmad-Mohammad · 7/10 · 3 October 2020]

He did not feel the suffering, and there are things that did not explain, for example, why his mother wanted to kill him ?! How was he able to stand again ?! It is a good film overall, but it does not deserve a high rating. I do not think it is unique and the dramatic construction was not as it should be

Must have missed something here......

[sborges · 5/10 · 3 July 2018]

I've been tracking this movie for quite a while due to the sky-high rating and superb reviews - after a bit of sweat, tracked down a copy and watched it during the weekend.

Well....hum?....er?......must have missed something here. Quite frankly, the movie is mediocre at best with subpar acting - save for a very fine Patrick Hume as the mercurial Drake Jones - and with a very lame script. A pair of paraplegic hobos attempting to hustle their way to survival seems fit for an interesting indie flick, a turn-of-the-century take on Midnight Cowboy. However, in various parts, the film just drags on with flashback overkills meshed with overacting; at moments, you seem to be watching a Mexican soap opera or a missed episode of "As the World Turns"......

Its not necessarily a disaster and does have its moments, but, quite frankly, 9,1?!?

A bit of editing and less histrionics would have made for a finer movie.

The way it is, reasonable at the very most.

Choked up!

[heatherwthurman · 10/10 · 17 September 2018]

It's been a long time since a movie has made me cry and I cried like a little baby watching this movie. This movie is about family and dealing with loss.The director of this film tackled it in an interesting way. Leaving the audience to feel these feelings instead of jamming them down your throat. I don't want to give anything away. This film really stays with you for a few days and is totally worth watching.

The mind can give the kiss of life

[MplusA92 · 7/10 · 6 January 2018]

If you ever wondered why you should keep struggling in life and never stop trying harder, then you should watch this movie to know what may happen if you ever stopped struggling. You should make your decision out of 2 choices,either to live or to die. Living with drugs,prostitutes and committing suicide is absolutely painful and you are going to feel that pain in the movie.

We should wonder about how does it feel to be alive, not how does it feel to die. The darkness in aimless life, the bad company and overthinking about the past can easily keep you hold in place. And all of that is shown clearly in the well made scenes of that talented actors, in addition to the superb directing and photography that cared a lot about the details of the picture.

The movie has beautiful twists that will keep you alert for the story, but it may get boring at some points so you may need to play it at double speed.

Finally, Remember that "When you are at the bottom,you can only go up".

For Shame

[Kirk1973 · 5/10 · 20 February 2020]

For shame these guys have tried to scam film rating sites and make it the self professed best film ever made, because there is some talent and half decent film-making in there. I sort of enjoyed it; it was inventive and moved along nicely. The message was a touch trite and there were way too many cliches and things borrowed from better films to make it a film I would honestly recommend. The best I can say for it is that it looked great and was pretty professionally put together, including some of the acting. However, this is a 5 or 6 out of ten film all day long. I hope they get the cash for another project and this time let it be judged fairly, like every other film out there. Saying that, it kinda worked, cos I might not have watched this for any other reason than the false rating.

10/10

[webpun · 10/10 · 16 September 2014]

Wheels is an amazing movie! It goes and mixes in comedy that helps soften the blow in these turn of events, but still hits hard. The film will make you think about how everything is different in someone else's shoes.

I have been wanting to make a low budget movie myself for years and the stories about making film are great. They really went through hell to make this movie.

Drake is going to be a classic character, great acting, great story. Really makes you think and messes you up a little to.

MUST SEE !!!!!!!!

Wheels is one of my favorite films

[raajd · 10/10 · 16 September 2014]

Saw this movie at a press screening. Where else can you find a film with the perfect mix of love, friendship, drugs, and violence? Wheels is the type of movie that will stay on your mind long after watching it.

Drake is amazing in the film, expect to cry in this one.I love this movie. It's not overly complicated in plot, but the casting is pitch perfect, and the raw emotions are palpable.

10/10 ! .If you're looking for a great move,look elsewhere. If you're looking for an enjoyable one,you have come to the right place .

Great to see Wheels once again.

"Wheels" ticks all the boxes for me. 10/10

[SkyaTone · 9/10 · 16 September 2014]

I saw this movie at a free screening last week not knowing what to expect, and I have to say it certainly surprised me. The story was well written and the direction was very well executed. The acting was great overall. The actors portraying the 2 main characters were simply superb and both worked together wonderfully. You could really feel their friendship connect and grow stronger throughout the film, not just because of their similar disabilities but more on the level of the pain and suffering both physically and mentally which they both have fallen victims to throughout their lives. "Wheels" certainly played with my emotions. Whether it be from its originally recorded soundtrack which was extremely well executed throughout the film, it had me in a state of indignation, it had me laughing and crying and that overall feeling of anticipation which few films are able to accomplish.

Overall I thoroughly recommend checking this film out. Especially considering well written films which have true meaning are few and far between nowadays.

Through pressure comes DIAMONDS...

[jameskortar · 10/10 · 5 September 2018]

And this is a Diamond of a film. I watched and read a ton of interviews about this film. These filmmakers crawled through broken glass to get this film made and out came this unknown gem. I personally think if it had been done by a studio it would have gotten screwed up by the money and control. A gutsy film couldn't have been made this way.

This film touches on so many aspects that are too taboo to talk about. It blends them all into a sort of chaos shake and then serves them up with a salted rim. The way the film sways from emotion to laughter to emotion to pain, back and forth it really was put together in a way that has never been done before. And my favorite part was when they are crawling through the house with the opera music at the end. It just...I can't even...

The directors really made a masterpiece here.

Click Bait

[pedrohmc-13642 · 1/10 · 5 July 2019]

Came by this movie by high ratings,turned out to be one of the worst movies i have ever seen. Don't get fooled by the high rating, there are only about 17k votes (to this day)

An experience that stays with You!

[wiki119 · 9/10 · 13 January 2021]

What a ride! This movie got so many aspects of depression on the right levels; Drugs, addiction, music, character's sense of the world, absence of outsiders and them having no influence on the character's will to live, character's guilt, lack of trust, him living in the past and so on. It's rare to find this perfect blend in movies, they always miss something or twist the story which doesn't fit viewer's experience but this movie got it all. The ending was so pure and original nothing less than the Andy's escape from Shawshank. Vibes of Boyhood (2014) mixed with determination portrayed in Gattaca (1997) and inflicts you with awe just as in Oldboy (2006).

This is a Rating Scam !! Dont watch it !!

[saikatsamanta · 1/10 · 10 October 2020]

I was pretty astounded that such a unknown film had such high rating. After checking the 10/10 reviewers and the things that they have reviewed, its clear those reviewers are just paid to fake reviews. Some of them had only reviewed this one film, & some of them have rated the same films similarly, probably they were paid for those. Steer clear of this one.

Wow! Wow! Wow!

[danielchase-72316 · 10/10 · 13 February 2018]

This movie is fricking Amazing!! My friend sent me a thing about it on facebook and I took a chance on it. Which I normally don't do, but this was really good.



This is one great Indie movie. I ended up crying like a little baby in the end which I never do. But it just ripped my heart out. Just when I thought it was over it really tore my heart heart out again. The acting was great. Who ever played Drake is seriously one of the best acting performances I have ever seen. He could play crazy and then get you emotionaly. Him and Mickey just riffed off eachother in such a good way. When Drake shot Mickey I was hooked. I can't believe I just found this. Everyone should watch this and feel something.

Highly recommend

[MrBenNa · 10/10 · 16 September 2014]

Drake and Mickey form an unlikely friendship as they roll through the streets of Los Angeles filled with drugs, crime, and prostitutes. We see the struggles, the heartbreak, and the most important thing of all: the importance of friendship. You will laugh, you will cry, and your heart will be touched.

Overall, it's a movie very well done. All characters have their time to shine and the whole movie, just epic!

The most fun I have had at the movies in years. Need I say more? Is it worth watching in a cinema? Pretty much, there's not too much competition now. But is it something outstanding, something memorable? Not really, just another quality blockbuster , which shows despite the setting having been changed to outer space

This film is fan-fu-tablulous.

[aletteeloise · 10/10 · 13 February 2018]

Did you just watch this movie and go..."what did I just watch" It's like a slow merlo that just swooshes around in your mouth. I rented this when I had a couple friends over and we were a little stoned. Somehow someone found it on Itunes and we watched it 2 times in a row and then I watched it the next day, because I had some dreams that I was in a wheelchair. I think there are two levels to this film. One when you are high and one when you are sober. It's tough for me to explain but kind of like fear and loathing in Las Vegas. Two different trips.

Shot like a classic. Great Film!

[minniewmiles · 10/10 · 16 September 2018]

Came across this on Prime and thought I would give it a go. What a really great film this was!

Reminds me of the older 80's movies that are classics now. The pacing felt a little slow at first and I couldn't understand why, then I got it. They shot it like an older film. There are long takes and lot's of long shots. There also is no cell phones in the film, which I thought was interesting. Like an homage to older films.

The story also was shot against traditional. There is no main bad guy, no main goal that I could see. Just a couple of guys trying to figure it out. And it was refreshing to see something different.

Great film!