END OF THE ROAD - - Protecting Her Family At Any Cost

Review by Paris Jade

After becoming recently widowed, Brenda (Queen Latifah) takes her family on a road trip across the country to move in with her mother. While on the road in the New Mexico desert, they suddenly become targets of a well-known killer and must fight to survive. Led by Queen Latifah and Ludacris, End of the Road is an exciting new thriller coming to Netflix. 

The acting in this film is not very top-tier. It's all carried by Latifah and Ludacris. Anytime they are on screen, they deliver pure entertainment. However, other actors just aren't all that entertaining and believable in their characters. If Latifah and Ludacris weren't cast, this honestly would not be as good of a film. I'd say the only other actor who has some star potential is Shaun Dixon, who plays Latifah's son Cam. His acting was great, and he can move on to bigger roles. Maybe the acting felt awkward at some portions due to the script itself. Some pieces of dialogue just felt off and unnatural and most likely affected the feel of the film. ​

The plot itself was actually very entertaining: it's a bit slow in the beginning as it sets up the reason why they are going on the trip, but once you get past that point, it is a very thrilling experience. If it weren't for the awkward bits of dialogue, I guarantee your eyes would be glued to the screen, wondering what's going to happen next. This thriller isn't much of a mystery, but it does have the vibe of "never let them know your next move," especially when it comes to the actions taken by Brenda. She is hands down the film's best character and shows off how badass a mother can be. She goes to great lengths to protect her family and stops at nothing to ensure they are safe from the killer. Ludacris plays a more comedic character until things become serious and the stakes of their lives at risk come into play. The film's ending is a great payoff and worth every second of the frustration you might feel during certain suspenseful scenes. 

If you want to see a thriller about family and all means of protecting it, then End of the Road is the film for you. It's entertaining the whole way through, and you'll be on the edge of your seat. It's got comedy, suspense, family, and heart. All things that can make a film good. It's an average watch for the casual Netflix viewer, and it won't disappoint. 

See End of the Road on Netflix, September 9. 

Rating: 3.5/5