REVIEW: “The Lost Bus” (2025)

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It’s difficult to imagine now, but 45 years ago this month, my father and three other firefighters were seriously injured battling a large forest fire. I was very young then, but I clearly remember my worried mother leaving me with my grandparents as she rushed to the hospital to meet the arriving ambulances. Because of that experience, news reports and films about wildfires always have a particularly strong impact on me.

“The Lost Bus” is a thrilling survival story inspired by Lizzie Johnson’s book, “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire”. Both the film and the book recount the events of the 2018 Camp Fire, which occurred in Butte County, Northern California. The Camp Fire is considered the most deadly and devastating wildfire in California’s history. Starting on November 8, 2018, the fire raged for seventeen days, spreading rapidly due to extremely dry weather and strong, downhill winds. Tragically, it caused 85 deaths, destroyed over 18,000 buildings, and burned an estimated 153,000 acres.

The film features a beautifully realistic performance by Matthew McConaughey, who plays Kevin McKay, a school bus driver facing hard times. Kevin is stuck in a rut, and it’s really getting to him. He returned to Paradise, California four months prior after his father’s passing. Now, he’s responsible for caring for his mother, Sherry (Kay McCabe McConaughey), while also attempting to rebuild his relationship with his distant and headstrong 15-year-old son, Shaun (Levi McConaughey).

At work, Kevin is having a hard time earning enough money for his mother’s medical bills. He repeatedly asks his supervisor, Ruby (Ashlie Atkinson), for more shifts, but he’s low on the company’s seniority list. So, Kevin does what he can, driving his regular route through the hilly, forested landscapes of Northern California. However, everything is about to change when a fire breaks out, started by sparks from a power line outside of town.

This is where director Paul Greengrass really showcases his distinctive, intense style, building a strong sense of realism that is key to how he tells stories. As strong winds and dry weather cause the small fire to grow into a massive wildfire, Greengrass uses a combination of real-life effects and computer-generated imagery to make the experience feel incredibly authentic, like you are right there. The film is further enhanced by the deeply engaging cinematography of Pål Ulvik Rokseth, who uses a range of shots to increase the tension and emphasize the fire’s immense size.

As Kevin’s story develops, the film frequently cuts to the work of the fire battalion, headed by Chief Ray Martinez (Yul Vazquez). Working with observers and firefighters on the ground and in the air, the battalion focuses on locating the fire, determining how dangerous it is, and creating a strategy to stop it. Director Greengrass portrays these moments like a smoothly-run emergency response operation, highlighting the courage of those who risk their lives to help others. This also adds a gripping sense of realism that makes the story truly compelling.

The story’s tension also increases. As a wildfire approaches Paradise, an order to evacuate is given. At Ponderosa Elementary, a teacher named Mary Ludwig (America Ferrera) is looking after 23 children who are unable to leave. With no one else around to drive, Kevin volunteers to transport them to safety, just as the radio and phone lines fail. After getting Mary and the students onto his bus, Kevin drives towards the designated meeting point. However, because communication is lost, Ruby can’t redirect them to the alternative, safer location.

Greengrass and Brad Inglesby, who co-wrote the script, skillfully weave together these two stories of bravery, even though the characters don’t realize they’re connected. While Kevin navigates a terrifying, fire-ravaged landscape, reassuring the children on the bus, Chief Martinez and his team work tirelessly to contain the blaze. Both narratives offer unique viewpoints on the actual disaster, showing its impact on different people and at varying levels.

The story isn’t perfect. It introduces several subplots that don’t really go anywhere. For example, there’s a tense scene where a young fireman bravely drives into a raging fire, trying to guide a group of survivors to safety, but then they’re never mentioned again. Similarly, a group of armed looters attacks the bus, and then they vanish just as quickly. You could also argue that the last 30 minutes feel a bit drawn out.

However, those minor issues fade into the background when you consider everything Greengrass does well, beginning with how powerfully he draws us into this terrifying, true story. We see it in his depiction of the disaster’s scale, how he emphasizes the serious threat in every scene, and his skill at showing the fire’s intense power. The visual effects are genuinely amazing. They’re so realistic that we especially need the heartfelt moments that McConaughey and Ferrera naturally deliver.

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2025-09-29 16:58