Daddio - Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn Star in NYC Taxicab Confessions Drama Film

Dakota Johnson in Daddio (Sony Pictures Classics)

Dakota Johnson in Daddio directed by Christy Hall — Dakota Johnson in Daddio (Sony Pictures Classics)

Sony Pictures Classics revealed the official trailer for Daddio, the drama film starring Sean Penn as a taxi driver, and Dakota Johnson as a young woman who after landing at JFK airport in New York City, jumps into the backseat of a yellow taxi driven by Penn. What begins as amusing chit chat quickly takes a turn towards mysterious and playful, then grows into viscerally honest revelations about relationships, sex and power dynamics, loss and vulnerability.

Release Date

Directed by Christy Hall, making her feature directorial debut, Daddio world premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival, followed by a screening at Toronto International Film Festival; and opens in cinemas on June 28, 2024.

Synopsis

New York City. JFK airport. A young woman jumps into the backseat of a yellow taxi, the cabbie throws the vehicle into drive as the two head out into the night toward Manhattan, striking up the most unexpected conversation resulting in a single, epic remarkable journey.

Sean Penn in Daddio (Sony Pictures Classics)

Reviews

Guardian review gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, writing “Life is also breathed into the film by her two stars, making the very most of the limited exercise, Johnson further proving herself to be magnetic regardless of the material (a skill learned early from the Fifty Shades franchise) and Penn bringing a movie star ease we haven’t seen from him for too long. They almost make it work but, like us, they’re searching for something that isn’t quite there, a thankless road to nowhere.”

The Hollywood Reporter review called the film ‘a modest but rewarding directorial debut’ for filmmaker Christy Hall, “The movie opens with a young woman (Johnson) getting into a taxi at JFK airport. Her cab driver (Penn) seems pleased that she is not in thrall to her cell phone but actually is open to conversation. The remainder of the movie takes place in the cab as both characters let their guard down and reveal secrets that they might not disclose to many others in their lives. The concept of strangers sharing secrets is not unheard-of in drama, and Hall has said she first conceived Daddio as a play. But it works effectively on film, thanks to outstanding performances by the two actors and deft staging by the director.”