Reflective Encounters

“A London bus stop at night perfectly sets the mood for the intriguing journey to come…  

In Night Bus, the initial scenes set the film’s pace and atmosphere allowing the viewer to experience the passing of time together with the main protagonist. As the plot progresses, the tension rises supported by an increasingly lively editing, which sets up the pace for the last quarter of the film.  

In the confined space of the double-decker bus, in which the restricted depth of field invites the viewer to become one with the heroine, the action is predominantly dictated by a latent calmness devoid of shocks or jump scares, resulting in a silence that seems reassuring... Until brief sound inserts creep up. In this claustrophobic atmosphere, the young driver also becomes one with the bus, which turns into both a physical and psychological prison, trapping the driver’s body as well as her mind. What if, in the end, the bus was haunted by a not-so-unknown – if not even familiar – presence? 

By using classic horror film techniques such as surveillance screens and a phantom presence, Henrietta and Jessica Ashworth achieve a well mastered creative exercise both in terms of aesthetic and narration. ”

— Florian Fernandez