For all the good reviews, “End of The Road” was a fairly mediocre thriller. Released on Netflix on Friday, Sept. 9, 2022, this movie had such high potential, with great actors such as Queen Latifah and even Dhar Mann child actor and star, Shaun Dixon. The only problem is, it didn’t live up to the expectations the movie should have easily reached. 

“End of The Road,” directed by Millicent Shelton, tells the story of how a widowed wife named Brenda, her two kids Kelly and Cam, and her brother, Reggie are trying to find a better life in the suburbs of Texas. After her husband died, they were forced to sell the house and move out. Everything was going great until they witnessed a murder and started getting targeted by a notorious killer, Mr. Cross. 

Out of all the disappointing things this movie brought up, the worst was its mediocre acting. I expect more from a promising group of actors. Most parts of the movie were so dull and anticlimactic, that even people who don’t watch thrillers would get bored and move on. The acting didn’t convey the hurt and emotion as well as it could have and certain parts would be comparable to the acting of an extra in a low-class movie.  

While the ending got a little better, the plot didn’t make sense. I love the notion of a strong, independent woman who will do anything to protect her children, but “End of The Road” almost butchers this concept. Though there was some thrill in this movie, including the lengths Brenda went to protect her children, the actual plot itself was highly predictable. There was no sense of surprise or upcoming thrill. You knew almost exactly what was going to happen next. 

Another thing this movie lacked was the proper use of specific tools to add suspense. They didn’t use sound or visual effects to compliment the film in the best way.  As much as visuals are important to the movie, the music is too. There was no underlying music guiding the viewer’s subconscious to the next event to happen. It was just flat and dull, the weight of the unnatural silence, unnerving. If they had adequate use of natural sound effects, the lack of music would’ve been fine. Throughout the movie, you would almost never hear the clinking of spoons or soft talking and bustling in a restaurant and the lack of extras created a sense of falsehood in the environment.

I had high hopes for this film, expecting it to have adequate use of background scenery as well as visual and sound effects, but unfortunately, this movie did not meet my expectations. Even though the movie’s use of foreshadowing impressed me, it was used too much for thriller fans who know how to look for the signs, and this overused technique unraveled the plot before it had even started.  It could be a good way to pass your time or for people who are looking for a movie with family drama and some action, but for true thriller fans, it was quite a disappointment.