City of Love (film)

City of Love is an American comedy crime thriller film directed by Èric Boadella and written by Boadella and Sara Pattarini. The film stars Robert DeCesare, Kathryn Schott, Taylor Nichols and Mario Tardón.

Plot
After 20 years in prison, a former inmate becomes a rideshare driver to catch up on his life in society.

Production
Car scenes in the film were shot in a studio and exteriors were composited together. Boadella said it was only possible to do during the pandemic because the empty studios were generous enough to give them a one-day rate for the entire film.

Release
The film premiered at New Jersey International Film Festival on January 28, 2023, screened at DC Independent Film Festival, NewFilmmakers Los Angeles and was released on video on demand on December 19, 2023, by Freestyle Digital Media.

Reception
The film won Best Feature Film at New Jersey International Film Festival's Spring 2023 edition. Natalie Tango at New Jersey Stage compared the film to Taxi Driver and said it is a phenomenal psychological horror film, complimenting DeCesare's performance and claiming the color "tones of blue and red help indicate the film’s negative, depressing theme."