Stuber, the movie, came out last night, and while I don’t know anything about the plot, as a rideshare driver named Stu I believe it’s my responsibility to share with you what to look for to make sure it’s authentic:
Bathroom Problem
If Stuber is true to its source material, there will be at least one scene where the driver—Stu—is in physical pain because of a need to use the restroom. It will be resolved with either frantic pleading at a fast food establishment, a crouch beside the car on a low-traffic road, or the divine placement of a port-a-potty at an unguarded construction site.
Made-Up Profession
A good marker of whether Stuber is trying to be authentic is whether or not the driver just makes things up when asked what else he does for a living because he doesn’t want to go to the trouble of explaining what an NIT blogger is. For example, he might claim he works remotely for a business out of Carson City that’s trying to grab market share in setting betting lines as sports gambling slowly becomes more legal across America.
Nervous Few Minutes after Hitting a Pothole
Depending on how realistic Stuber is, you may or may not see a scene in which the driver hits a curb, pothole, or speed bump a little too hard and spends the next few minutes intensely listening for the signs of a flat tire. Gradually, the panic dissipates.
Apartment Complex Gate Conflict
One way to tell if Stuber is a legitimate reflection of life is to keep an eye out for a scene in which the passenger is somewhere inside an apartment complex, but there’s general confusion between the passenger and Stu on how Stu’s supposed to get past the gate and find them.
At Least One Instance of Technology-Driven Fury
Stuber can establish itself as the real deal by making something go wrong, whether it be with the rideshare app or the navigation app. If it’s the navigation app, Stu will switch to a different one for a few rides and feel very powerful. If it’s the rideshare app, Stu will try in vain to get support through the debacles that are rideshare support (I actually don’t know if this is true for Uber, but holy cow is Lyft’s “support” useless), which will likely culminate in him calling it a night and going home.
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That’s all I’ve got. There are probably more things to look for, but these are the basics. Now, if you’d like to go see the movie, you are prepared.
