‘Stretch’ is the most interesting movie I have seen in a while. It isn’t often that I can see exactly where a movie is going, yet wonder where it is going at the same time. This is only possible due to the wild and chimerical job of a limo driver that the audience bears witness to. All of the drama, insanity and action distract us from a hackneyed fate and love plotline.

Fate, of course, is interesting in itself. You could sit around all day wondering how there was such a minuscule chance that your parents could have met and created you. But everything happens for a reason, at least according to Stretch.

Each and every detail in the unusual day of Kevin, whose nickname is Stretch, combined with the pain of a break-up, string together to produce an unusual night. Everything connects, everything relates.

He begins his day by losing his client to a rival limo service called ‘The Jovi.’ His client was none other than David Hasselhoff, who, in his cameo, gave his best acting performance of his career, only because he was his normal crazy self.

In response, Kevin, played by Patrick Wilson, steals a client from ‘The Jovi,’ Ray Liotta. In a hurry, Liotta left his movie set with a prop gun and badge, which he gives to Kevin to take back. Kevin intends to return the prop until the opportunity arises to use the badge to his advantage.

The props only become useful after Kevin tends to his next client, billionaire Roger Karos, played by Chris Pine. Kevin chauffeurs Karos around in an eventful, highly illegal night, for which Karos promises to tip Kevin six thousand dollars. That amount is, of course, equal to an outstanding gambling debt that Kevin procured some time ago, and for which the payment deadline just got moved to that night at midnight.

Only then does insanity begin.

The question becomes: where does the love story fill in? Well, while Kevin comes to believe that the events of the night are happening to allow him to become free of his debt, they actually fall in to place to allow him to get over his ex and realize his true love was right in front of him all along.

As Kevin goes through his wild night, he chats on a dating app with a nameless and faceless woman. Fate would have it that he knows her. She is in fact his only friend and coworker, Charlie, played by Jessica Alba.

The movie is entirely tantalizing, mostly due to the writing, directing and acting. ‘Stretch’ was both written and directed by Joe Carnahan. Carnahan’s body of work includes mostly action-thriller types, though he is able to infuse some humor into them. His biggest works on the big screen to date are ‘The A-Team’ and ‘The Grey.’ He has also done some work on ‘The Blacklist’ and created the new thriller series, ‘State of Affairs.’

The cast of ‘Stretch’ is an interesting ensemble. Patrick Wilson, who plays Kevin, is slightly out of his place as a limo driver, as most of his work has been in thrillers and horror films, but he is a believable character due to the intensity in finishing the job that he brings to Kevin.

Chris Pine plays Karos, a complete lunatic and all around bad guy. This completely contrasts with Pine’s hero role as Captain Kirk in the ‘Star Trek’ series, yet his incredible acting skills allow for a convincing portrayal of a power-crazed billionaire.

Ed Helms plays Karl with a K. You might remember Helms as Stuart in ‘The Hangover’ movies. Here, Helms acts somewhat as Kevin’s ego and superego, and provides both comic relief and insight into Kevin’s emotions.

I don’t know if I believe in fate. On one side, I want to — it means that everything happens for a reason. Yet at the same time, that means I don’t have any control over how my life plays out. Although, if fate means that I end up with Jessica Alba in the end, then count me in.

4/5