The teaser trailer for End of the Road, starring Queen Latifah, has been made available on Netflix. Brenda (Latifah) is a widow who, after losing her job, chooses to uproot her family and relocate across the nation in search of a fresh start. Their search for a better life takes longer than intended, however, because they keep being caught in the sights of an unknown assailant. The opening two minutes of the video include a high-speed automobile pursuit through the desert, intercut with glimpses of a distraught Brenda, before rewinding to the events that triggered her distress.
The foursome (including Ludacris as Brenda’s brother) can be seen making their way along a desolate road surrounded by vast stretches of the barren landscape. The youngest family member seems to know very little about their destination, Houston, but from what I can gather from their chats, they have been on the road for around three and a half hours. As the journey progresses, Brenda’s brother expresses his concerns about their decision to go on it; sadly, his worries are confirmed when they stop at a wayside hotel and observe an unidentified guy murdered.
What starts off as a simple family attempting to do the right thing gets complex when Brenda’s brother steals a bag of money from the murderer on the loose, who seems determined to get it back. The close-knit family will stick together to protect each other from the murderer, regardless of which among them may be guilty. David Loughery adapted Christopher Moore’s original script for the film End of the Road. The Intruder, Obsessed, and Fatale are just a few of the thrillers that have established Loughery as a major figure in the field.
Millicent Shelton, who starred in the TV show 30 Rock, is the film’s director. Shelton told ESSENCE Magazine, “When I originally read the screenplay, I realised that I needed to represent this family as a typical middle-class family, but also underline their experiences as a Black family travelling through the South.” In addition: We aimed for authenticity by grounding the story in what is actually happening to African-Americans in the United States. All the hardships they’ve been through have only served to strengthen their family’s relationship.
Shelton calls End of the Road a “family-based action road trip thriller,” despite the film’s classification as a thriller, and claims that she was able to establish “a new kind of cinema” with it. The filmmaker said, “Having that blend of action and the heart of a family makes it truly wonderful. Cast members Beau Bridges, Mychala Faith Lee, Shaun Dixon, and Frances Lee McCain join Queen Latifah and Ludacris, two rappers-turned-comedic-actors, in End of the Road. On September 9, Netflix will debut End of the Road.