End of the Road movie review

IN A NUTSHELL:

In this high-octane action thriller, a cross-country road trip becomes a highway to hell for Brenda and her family. Alone in the New Mexico desert, they have to fight for their lives when they become the targets of a mysterious killer.

The suspenseful road-trip movie was directed by Millicent Shelton, and written by Christopher J. Moore and David Loughery. Netflix needs to take more time with its movies in order to better serve its talented actors. Too many disappointing films are being pumped out.

THINGS I LIKED:

• It’s great to see Queen Latifah. I’m such a fan of her acting and singing. She really carries the film and does a great job with the material she’s given.
• Fans of Ludacris will be thrilled to see him play an integral role in this movie. This is the first time he and Queen Latifah have acted together.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

• The scriptwriting has some serious plot holes.
• There is so much unnecessary exposition during the “bad guy” reveal. The villain is ridiculously unbelievable and feels more like a cartoon character.
• I’m so tired of snarky, bratty, entitled teenagers in movies like this. The character arc is so cliched.
• Pretty much all of the white people are bad, stupid, and evil.
• I hate watching characters make terrible decisions.
• Instead of feeling suspenseful tension during most of the film, audiences will laugh at the absurdity of it all.
• Negative shout-outs to Chick-Fil-A, New Mexico, and Kim Kardashian’s butt.
• The pacing lags, then bursts, then falters.
• The soundtrack doesn’t quite match the story.

TIPS FOR PARENTS:

• A teen smokes weed with her uncle.
• Profanity, including F-bombs
• A teenage boy starts to get handsy with a teenage girl
• Lots of bloody murder and other brutal violence
• Various weapons are used
• A teenage girl flips the bird.
• A kid gets kidnapped
• A guard dog bites someone

THEMES:

• Bullying
• Racism
• Greed
• Power
• Family
• Grief
• Survival

You can see the full review on the Movie Review Mom YouTube channel.