“End of the Road” is a rated-R, 2022 high action, suspenseful thriller. Starring Queen Latifah (“Hustle”) as Brenda and Ludacris (“The Ride”) as Reggie. This movie starts with Brenda at a gas station and her card declining, while dealing with the loss of her husband and financial crisis. She goes to an almost empty home, where her two children, Kelly and Cam played by Mychala Lee (“Truth Be Told”) and Shaun Dixon (“The Exit Row”) do not want to leave California. The family, including uncle Reggie go on a three day road trip to Texas where many obstacles stand in their way. Reggie and Brenda have a lingering conflict of their own that unravels as the movie progresses, as siblings do.

The movie holds its audience in suspense while the scene switches to two henchmen in the desert, Micah McNeil (“Vengeance”) and Efrain Villa (“Better Call Saul”) with a strange duffel bag that was dropped off via helicopter. The duffel bag is owned by Mr. Cross, played by Beau Bridges (“The Premise”), the most dangerous man in the southwest. The duffle bag becomes the hot topic of the movie as it “disappears” and is stolen person to person. Finding the identity of Mr. Cross is up to the audience and Brenda’s family. The family is detoured hours in a new direction and their path crosses with the cartel’s men, sent from Mr. Cross. 

This movie follows a certain perspective of an all black family in the South. Brenda does all she can to protect her family including going to a motel for the night hoping for peace. What they uncover at first is fun family time, laughs and pillow fights, which all escalated quickly.      

This movie put viewers at the edge of their seats. Every question it raises, it answers. It also does not have a dull moment and is definitely gruesome in some moments. From blood splatter on the screen and bodies flying into trees, this movie did not hold back. From kidnapping, to high speed car chases, and a shoot out in the wild west. This family is in for the craziest road trip of their lives. The movie ends with the biggest twist, that was completely unexpected. The real question is, who is Mr. Cross and why does everyone fear him?

The acting in the movie is remarkable, and makes it seem like a real family is making an emotional life-changing decision together. Finding strength in one another and fighting all obstacles to survive, after losing their dad, all they have is each other. Even when they did not have a home, they had a home within one another.

This movie could be recommended to anyone of age who loves a thriller mystery and who wants to be captivated from the start of it.

Image from Netflix via YouTube