With Arms Raised (2026) – Review and Summary

Have you ever thought to yourself while in a ride-sharing vehicle, a taxi, or public transit, who exactly are you in this vehicle with?

ByAmari Allah Hours Posted on

Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.

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“With Arms Raised” Film Details

  • Director(s): Jon Cvack
  • Writer(s): Jon Cvack
  • Runtime: 0 Hour(s) and 10 Minutes
  • Public Release Date (Screener)
  • Genre(s): Drama
  • Content Rating: Not Rated
  • Primary Language: English

Movie Summary

A ride-share driver from Chicago is listening to the radio when he gets his latest fare, and they initiate the usual small talk. The passenger is a bit weird, but the driver has experienced many a weird fare, and they share being from a common area, and the dude seems cool. However, as cool as he is, the passenger is still a stranger, and there come moments when it is hard to tell if something is being misinterpreted or should be seen as a warning.

Cast and Characters

The Driver (Jonathan Wallace)

The Driver (Jonathan Wallace) – With Arms Raised
  • Character Summary: From Chicago, the driver is just a young man trying to make ends meet and pursue a dream.

The Passenger (Andrew Garrett)

The Passenger (Andrew Garrett) – With Arms Raised
  • Character Summary: Undeniably eccentric, the passenger seems cool, a decent conversationalist, but there are moments where he makes jokes or draws back that make him off-putting.  

Review and Commentary

Highlight(s)

Stranger Danger [84/100]

What makes With Arms Raised so good is that there is awkwardness, but things between the driver and passenger lack notable tension. Due to that, you are unsure of where this is going to go. Is the short just about not judging a book by its cover or recognizing when someone looks off, feels off, then 1 and 1 equals 2?

Could it be about how commonality brings people together? The driver, a Black man from Chicago, and the passenger, a White man from Chicago, bonding over sports, how hard it is out in the world, with recognition, both have issues. With Arms Raised plays upon your prejudice, suspicion, and borderline paranoia, and isn’t something to simply watch, but it coerces you to reflect. Ponder about the missed opportunities, or bullets dodged, you could have been a part of.

Overall

Our Rating (84/100): Positive (Worth Seeing)

Within ten minutes, you are pushed to analyze your own mindset as you find yourself tested. Can you spot someone who is simply eccentric, or is actually dangerous? Has growing up with being taught stranger danger made it so, even as an adult, you are on edge. While not a horror, nor pushed to be a thriller, With Arms Raised pushes its viewer to contemplate life’s potential daily dangers and consider how well you may handle your next encounter.

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Amari is the founder and head writer of Wherever-I-Look.com and has been reviewing media since 2010. He approaches each production with hope, rooting for every story to succeed, and believes criticism should come from unmet potential, while praise is reserved for work that meets or exceeds expectations.