Film Review – The Lost Bus

October 3rd, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Writer/director Paul Greengrass’s brand of documentary-like thrillers is on full display in The Lost Bus (2025). Just as he has done in other works about disasters and tragedies – such as United 93 (2006), 22 July (2018) and Captain Phillips (2013) – Greengrass explores the details of a harrowing event while trying to mine the human element underneath. While he might be drawn to stories about the absolute worst possible situations, he never forgets that the heart of his narratives lie in the people that lived them. That is no different here. Once again, Greengrass dives into familiar territory. And although the end product may not reach the heights of his previous forays into this subject matter, there is no denying the skill and expertise he puts on the screen.

This time, Greengrass (who cowrites with Brad Ingelsby) tackles the 2018 Camp Fire – a wildfire that decimated Northern California’s Butte County. The fire is on record as the most destructive and deadliest wildfire in California history, with a reported 85 deaths and over a dozen injuries. Adapting Lizzie Johnson’s book, “Paradise: One Town’s Struggle to Survive an American Wildfire,” Greengrass traces how an extended drought, high winds, and faulty maintenance of power lines ignited the fire. It quickly spread over 150,000 acres, consumed the nearby town of Paradise, and destroyed over 18,000 individual structures. This story maybe a sensitive one for some viewers, given that we are still less than a year removed from the wildfires that affected large portions of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. Even though the Camp Fire took place seven years ago, its relevance is more than apparent today.

The narrative is divided into several different perspectives, but our central protagonist is Kevin McKay (Matthew McConaughey). Kevin is a public school bus driver who has fallen on hard times. He has separated from his wife, has a son (Levi McConaughey) who resents him, and struggles to watch over his elderly mother (Kay McConaughey). Kevin tries to make ends meet, begging his bosses to let him take on more shifts to no avail. And to make matters even worse: he recently found out his dog has cancer. Needless to say: Kevin has seen better days. But all of that must take a backseat once the Camp Fire makes itself known and quickly spreads. Kevin gets a distress call advising that 22 children have been stranded at a school that lays right in the pathway of the flames. Kevin takes it upon himself to drive his bus to the school, pick up the kids, and take them to a designated site to be retrieved by their parents. Of course, this is easier said than done, as traffic, emergency vehicles, and road blockages make escape near impossible. Along with the children’s teacher, Mary (America Ferrera), Kevin does all he can to rescue the kids while making sure his own family is safe as well.

The Lost Bus works best when Greengrass manages all the moving parts. The editing (Peter Dudgeon, William Goldenberg, Paul Rubell) transitions breathlessly between the first responders and evacuees. Those leading the rescue attempt huddle together overlooking a map, trying to pinpoint the shifting dynamics of the fire and where to disperse their resources. Meanwhile, firefighters and rescue workers head in, around, and above the blaze, picking up anybody they can, directing traffic, and flying in to drop fire retardant. Traffic controllers notify where buses can and cannot go, informing them of safe zones as soon as they become available. And of course, in the middle of it all is Kevin, Mary, and the kids. All these facets operate simultaneously, and Greengrass and his team do an exceptional job of keeping it all in line. The film gives us the necessary information to understand the stakes without stopping the pacing in midstream to explain it.

Unfortunately, the human factor does not work with the same level of efficiency. The narrative works as a procedural, but not as much in terms of emotion and character. We understand that Kevin’s tough life has given him a sense of desperation, but many of the choices he makes are irrational or just plain reckless. Ignoring directions from authorities, swerving into and out of traffic, taking short cuts despite not knowing if the roads are open, reassuring Mary that he knows what he’s doing when he clearly doesn’t, etc. Kevin wants to get out of there and get back to his family, but his actions could very well put them all in more danger. The writing tries to circumvent this by allowing moments of respite, where Kevin and Mary sit back and talk about themselves openly. These scenes are meant to give them vulnerability and empathy, but the fact that it comes while they are surrounded by fire plays a little silly. If any of us were in a position where death is at our doorstep, would we stop and talk about our backgrounds with one another? There’s a time and place for everything, but I’m not sure trying to escape a raging wildfire is the opportune moment to get to know each other.

On a technical level, the depiction of the fire is jaw dropping. This is most evident in wide angle shots, where the cinematography (Pål Ulvik Rokseth) pulls the camera way back to take in the enormity of it all. The smoke and flames are so impressive looking that I began to wonder if Greengrass and the special effects team just lit a real, controlled fire. The sense of peril is immediate and in your face. Scenes where characters run toward the fire to save others looks tangible. Smoke covers all corners of the screen, and ambers fly across the air in all sorts of directions. If these instances were done with CGI, then it is some truly remarkable imagery. I sat there worried that someone would get a piece of amber stuck in their eye. Not all the effects were convincing. Some moments – such as when Kevin decides to drive the bus through the fire at full speed – have a noticeably artificial gloss. But for most of the runtime, the movie convinces us of the wildfire’s existence and its potential for devastation.

When it comes to scope, thrills, and tension, The Lost Bus works. This is the kind of movie to see on the biggest screen with the loudest sound system possible. Paul Greengrass has plenty of experience in taking real life events and generating edge of your seat suspense from it. But when it comes to character development, the film pulls up a little short. Although it doesn’t equal Greengrass’ more acclaimed projects, we can’t deny that this is a production headed by a director that knows what he’s doing and does it well.

22 July, America Ferrera, Brad Ingelsby, Captain Phillips, Featured, Kay McConaughey, Levi McConaughey, Matthew McConaughey, Pål Ulvik Rokseth, Paul Greengrass, Paul Rubell, Peter Dudgeon, The Lost Bus, United 93, William Goldenberg