End of the Road – Netflix Review (3/5)

END OF THE ROAD on Netflix is a new action-thriller starring Queen Latifah, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, and Beau Bridges. The plot isn’t exactly full of surprises, but it’s solid entertainment for a Friday night movie. Read our End of the Road movie review here!

END OF THE ROAD is a new Netflix movie in the action, thriller, and drama genres. Sure, there’s also some humor and towards the end, there are even a few scenes that feel straight out of a horror comedy. For the most part, though, thriller is the core plot driver.

The small cast delivers some wonderful portrays of likable and recognizable characters. Also, while the plot is pretty predictable, it’s precisely the kind of movie I like to kick back with on a Friday night. Check it out and just enjoy it.

Continue reading our End of the Road movie review below. The film premieres on Netflix on September 9, 2022.

Queen Latifah can carry a movie

I know, I know, it’s hardly a surprise to anyone (or shouldn’t be) that Queen Latifah can carry a movie. She has so much charisma and heart, which she pours into everything she does. In End of the Road, we start out slowly by seeing a family in pain. The husband/father passed away and the family needs to move.

We know, right off the bat, that money is tight. Or non-existent, really. So Brenda (Queen Latifah) needs to make the move from Los Angeles to Houston with her two children and her brother (Ludacris). They are trying to band together in the aftermath of losing their husband, father, and brother-in-law respectively.

For me personally, seeing Ludacris in anything is always a treat. He has perfect comedic timing while also being able to carry himself in the more dramatic scenes. Queen Latifah is always brilliant and in the case of End of the Road, she really does carry the plot and the movie.

As her kids, Sam and Kelly, we see Shaun Dixon and Mychala Lee (Truth Be Told). Both work really well thanks to both well-written characters and the chemistry between both the two and Queen Latifah and Ludacris.

Sure, the plot is familiar, but the characters are new

Of course, we’ve seen the plot of “wrong place at the wrong time, and now a normal family is in trouble” plenty of times before. Usually, however, the characters are white and the family consists of a husband and wife with a son and a daughter. And the dad is usually the one to take care of business.

In End of the Road, the family is black and it’s a widow with her brother and her two kids. Also, she’s the one to take care of business. Not that he isn’t willing to do whatever it takes to help. It’s just that Brenda (Queen Latifah) is both an ER Nurse and a smart woman, so she knows that avoiding escalation in most situations is key to a safe outcome.

Also, they very smartly introduce some key background details early on: The adult siblings (Queen Latifah and Ludacris) were Army brats and moved 27 times in 17 years. They relied on each other and their dad taught them to hunt, fight, and all other sorts of practical skills.

In other words; We’re informed of skills that will obviously become important down the road. Literally!

The end of End of the Road on Netflix

While the Netflix movie End of the Road is fairly predictable in most ways, the ending is really awesome. There are moments that get so violent, that we venture into horror. Also, some deaths are straight out of a horror-comedy script.

Yes, on purpose. Trust me, you can’t miss what I’m referring to here!

I know I’ve focused on the family in this review, but Beau Bridges also has a key role. He plays the classic role of a Police captain (or State Trooper, in this case) and we also get to meet his wife. She’s portrayed by Frances Lee McCain, who should be familiar to many.

She’s been in everything from Gremlins to Footloose, Back to the Future, and even Stand By Me. In this movie, she is also in one of the most memorable moments towards the end.

Watch End of the Road on Netflix now!

Millicent Shelton is the director of End of the Road. She’s a director who has been making a huge career out of directing amazing TV series. These include 30 Rock, Titans, Insecure, The Walking Dead, Tell Me a Story and so many more. Basically, she’s directed in virtually every genre of television.

Having watched this movie (with a crisp runtime of 1 hour and 29 minutes), I can’t help but hope we’ll get more feature films from Millicent Shelton as well. The screenplay for this Netflix action-thriller was written by David Loughery with the original script written by  Christopher J. Moore.

I won’t claim that this is wildly innovative or surprising. Because it really isn’t in terms of its plot. However, the fact that it features a black family and the mom is the real hero and fighter, is certainly still innovative. Also, it’s the kind of movie you can enjoy and then let go again. Well, maybe except for some of those wild scenes towards the end!

End of the Road is out on Netflix globally from September 9, 2022.

Details

Director: Millicent Shelton
Cast: Queen Latifah, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Beau Bridges, Mychala Faith Lee, Shaun Dixon, Frances Lee McCain