Road trip movies and TV shows can be entertaining despite being done often. A case in point is the eight-episode Australian show Thou Shalt Not Steal, which screened its first three episodes at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival. It uses everything at its disposal, including setting and stereotypes, to make the episodes enjoyable.
While it’s hard to gauge whether Thou Shalt Not Steal can keep things interesting throughout the eight episodes, there was enough happening to make me want to continue watching this adventure, other than a few bumps in the road (pardon the pun).
The main plot follows Robyn (Sherry Lee-Watson), an Aboriginal delinquent who causes havoc and stirs the stick. She steals a taxi and eventually uses it to find her father. This also allows her to escape her mother and drinking problem as she tries to run away from her own demons. Of course, decisions like this are rarely thought through. The chaos she leaves in her path because of her quick decisions makes getting to her destination much more difficult. However, it introduces the audience to a mix of hilarious characters.
You see, Robyn stole a taxi from the wrong woman: Maxine (Miranda Otto), an ex-hooker who deals on the side and has some valuable cargo in the trunk. She teams up with Robert (Noah Taylor), a preacher who oozes fraud from every pore. Together, they track Robyn down in his mobile preacher mobile.
Robert has a stake in this, too, as his son, Gidge (Will McDonald), has stowed away in the back seat of the taxi to escape his domineering dad. It’s an odd couple tracking an odd couple and a race to their destination.
Director Dylan River initially maneuvers these four carefully, then lets them loose to enjoy their characters fully. He takes full advantage of the gorgeous landscape whenever he can. The idea of an Aboriginal juvenile delinquent could have been an issue, but River treats everything with a touch of accessible humor, making Robyn’s rebellious behavior enjoyable.
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Sherry Lee-Watson is solid as the lead, giving the right mix of attitude and buried feelings to make her interesting. She’s fed up with everything, and leaving for any reason, especially to find her dad, is all the motivation she needs, regardless of whether she breaks a few laws.
Otto and Taylor fully embrace their roles as well, and to that end, make their characters the highlight of the three episodes. Both are on different paths, but also, both seem to be lost. They are treading water in their current situations, each not ideal in terms of long-term stability. The kind of edge they bring makes them a great pair. They have a few great scenes together, one in the car and another in a bar, that cements this odd couple as a whole lot of fun.Â
While road trip/adventure stories are good for both laughs and serious moments, the biggest problem lies in sustaining that for eight episodes. The first three episodes had a few too many moments where scenes didn’t work or went on too long, giving the sense that things were extended to push the story longer. More often than not, the show rebounded quickly enough, but it makes you wonder if there is enough to keep the audience interested.
It’s clear, however, that Thou Shalt Not Steal shows promise in the first three episodes, enough to warrant watching more and seeing how these characters continue to interact on their journey. The final destination may prove to be important, but if they can keep up the energy, humor, and thoughtful moments, then it won’t matter in the end, as the audience will still be with them.
