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End of the Road
By Jennifer Green,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Intense thriller has violence, racism, language.
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End of the Road
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Based on 2 parent reviews
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Boring
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What's the Story?
After her husband dies, Brenda (Queen Latifah) can no longer afford their family's lifestyle in Los Angeles in END OF THE ROAD. She has decided to move with her two kids, Cam (Shaun Dixon) and Kelly (Mychala Lee), to Texas, where her mom lives. Her brother, Reggie (Ludacris), is coming along for the long car ride. After a tense encounter with two racist teens on a lonely desert road, the family stops for the night at an inexpensive motel. There they overhear a man being murdered and find themselves on the receiving end of threats from a local crime boss who's also involved with a Mexican drug cartel. As they try to get themselves out of the desert to safety, they're chased, abducted, and threatened.
Is It Any Good?
There's a lot to like about this film, and most of it doesn't involve the main plot or action scenes. Sure, it's fun to see Queen Latifah kick a bunch of neo-Nazis' rear ends, but much of the violence in End of the Road feels gratuitous. There are also a whole bunch of loose ends that make the film's ending feel unbelievable. One would like to hope the racism that the family encounters in the Southwest isn't as rampant as the film depicts (there are few redeemable White people), but Ludacris' line that being Black is the "next best thing" to being a criminal is uncomfortably aligned with current events.
What's really endearing in this film are the family dynamics -- the authentic ribbing between grown siblings, kids' sarcasm, parents' exasperation, and so on. Latifah and Ludacris are exceptionally appealing actors. She makes the action scenes almost believable and shines in the more authentic interactions, and he puts in as convincing a performance as the script allows for as the ne'er-do-well big kid with aspirations to do right. The film's mood is complemented by some great music (by the likes of Etta Bond and Alicia Keys) and filtered lighting that crafts a vintage feel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the blatant racism faced by the family in End of the Road. How do the characters deal with it? What was your reaction to these scenes?
Was there some moral ambiguity to the ending? How so? What did you think of the family's decisions?
Were you surprised by the identity of "Mr. Cross"?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: September 9, 2022
- Cast: Queen Latifah , Ludacris , Beau Bridges
- Director: Millicent Shelton
- Inclusion Information: Black directors, Female actors, Black actors
- Studio: Netflix
- Genre: Thriller
- Topics: Brothers and Sisters
- Run time: 90 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: Some strong/bloody violence, drug use, sexual content, and language
- Last updated: February 17, 2023
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