Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Milestone’ on Netflix, A Quiet Drama That Will Remind You Of ‘Nomadland’

A film festival favorite, Ivan Ayr’s second feature film has been acquired by Netflix. Is the 98-minute drama about a lonely truck driver worth a stream?

MILESTONE: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: A recently widowed truck driver Ghalib (Suvinder Vicky) has to adapt to changing circumstances at his job. Union laborers who help load the trucks are on strike for higher wages and Ghalib must fill in the gaps. But past his prime, his body gives out. At the same time, Ghalib must train a new intern in the trucking business, though he’s convinced he’ll lose his job to the younger driver.

What Will It Remind You Of?: In its quiet portrayal of a widowed driver on the road, there are shades of this year’s Best Picture winner, Nomadland.

Performance Worth Watching: Vicky’s central performance is really the only one onscreen, but thankfully it is an excellent one. Though quiet, Vicky’s face is expressive and his silences speak volumes. Ghalib is a lonely man in a job that requires solitude, and Vicky feels very comfortable in that atmosphere.

Memorable Dialogue: “If you ask me, I do this job because it is who I am. My misery lies in the fact that this is all I am.” It’s a line that cuts deep to anyone who has felt stuck or unhappy in a certain place of life, thinking that these current circumstances have defined who they are.

Sex and Skin: None, and the film doesn’t need a romantic C-plot.

Our Take: Milestone is an especially interesting portrayal of India’s current demographic split, where the median age is 26.8. In that, there is an inherent push and pull between the younger generation and the older one. Culturally, Indians revere their elders with an innate sense of respect. And the younger driver in Milestone palpably looks up to Ghalib, eager to learn the job even if it’s out of necessity. But Ghalib holds back, feeling attacked by the intern’s very presence as it threatens his livelihood, and therefore his identity.

The film has an arthouse indie film feel that Indian cinema isn’t necessarily known for, and the story is intensely human. Especially set in a country where the pandemic is ravaging every city and village, the feelings of loneliness and helplessness are amplified. Similar to Nomadland, Milestone shines a light on a community not often seen and examines the people at the center of it—flaws and all.

Our Call: STREAM IT. The film is quiet but enthralling from start to finish.

Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in New York City. Her work has appeared on Paste Magazine, Teen Vogue, and Brown Girl Magazine. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.

Watch Milestone on Netflix