R | 1h 33m | Crime Thriller | 2026
A “wardriver” refers to someone who drives around town using their phone and laptop to sniff out unsecured Wi-Fi networks to exploit. You’ll never look at a gas station ATM the same way again.
Combining the neo-noir atmospherics of “Drive” with crime capers like “Heat,” this fairly immersive but middlingly thrilling urban-crime story entertains by showing us the worry-inducing (but fascinating) nuts and bolts of this particular segment of cybercriminality.
That said, “Wardriver” is too lethargic to match the quality of the aforementioned classics.
‘Honorable’ Hacker
Sitting in cars and typing on computers isn’t particularly cinematic, but director Rebecca Thomas manages to circumnavigate this issue with interesting close-ups of Cole (Dane DeHaan), the titular driver-hacker.
However, making Cole likable enough to root for is a bit of a stretch, so Cole is presented as an honorable hacker who steals from banks, not individuals. He launders his money through prepaid credit cards that he gives to his neighbor, who has seen better days.
The setup is the best part of the movie; we feel we’re being allowed access to a secret world of urban criminality. Cole surreptitiously snaps photos of convenience store ATMs, and explains why he only hits companies on Thursdays. “Wardriver” relies on this turning-over-a-rock approach to little-known crimes to arrest our attention, but as the story evolves, things quickly start to feel generic until a flurry of twists at the end refocus our attention.
A director like Steven Soderbergh might have been able to better escalate tension in Cole’s journey into darkness as we’re taken around Salt Lake City on various crime sprees. The location was presumably a budget-friendly place to shoot, but it’s effective in representing America’s seamier side.
Things Get Real
Cole is soon given a rude awakening regarding the town’s larcenous underbelly. Oscar (Yale-trained Mamoudou Athie, whose kind eyes undermine his attempt to be a violent baddie) breaks into his house, smacks Cole around with Muay Thai, and insists he steal $800,000 from the shared bank account of Sarah (Sasha Calle) and her lover, the crooked attorney Mark Bilson (Jeffrey Donovan, the mustachioed AR-15-toting CIA agent from “Sicario”).
Soon Cole is at Mark’s house around midnight, remotely removing Mark’s moolah with his Mac. When Mark accuses Sarah of stealing his money and threatens her life unless she gives it back, Cole suffers a crisis of conscience and tries to return it. Cole naturally falls for Sarah. Since he’s trying to save her life, she falls for him too, although Calle’s sullen scenes with DeHaan don’t produce much heat.
The End
We do get caught up in wanting see how it all ends. However, when Cole classically agrees to do the stereotypical “one last job” that will afford him and Sarah the ability to run away forever, audience eye-rolling starts. Thankfully just enough information is withheld earlier in the story to make the concluding twists somewhat unexpected. When Cole looks at himself in the rearview mirror at the end, we wonder where he’ll drive next, and whether the driving will be devoid of war.
Hilariously, the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, once advised comedian Eddie Murphy to remove his money from the bank, to keep the government from taking it—and bury it in his backyard. Which prompted Murphy to quip, “This is the quality of elder-advice we had back in the day.”
Overall, while “Wardriver” will make you a bit nervous about the safety of your 401(k) account, it stops short of compelling you to drain your bank accounts and bury the money.
‘Wardriver’
Director: Rebecca Thomas
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Sasha Calle, Mamoudou Athie
MPAA Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 33 minutes
Release Date: March 20, 2026
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
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