No Exit is a gripping mystery horror film, and I have a strong affinity for mystery-centric stories. I thrive on films that unravel who’s part of the conspiracy. In Damien Powers’ latest creation, the choice of key cast members clearly hints at the identity of the antagonist. Some audience members might overlook actors who are typecast in certain roles. I would have been genuinely astonished if they hadn’t turned out to be involved in some way. If you haven’t yet experienced Powers’s previous work, Killing Ground, I highly urge you to check it out.
It’s a film I recommend to movie lovers every chance I get, so seeing this writer-directors name attached to another dark-themed film made my arm hairs stand on end with excitement. The No Exit title is based on a novel by Taylor Adams with additional writing by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari.
The No Exit film is currently streaming on Disney+ (in most regions) and Hulu in the USA. For more options to watch, see the link below. The narrative follows Darby, a recovering and relapsing addict firmly in the grasp of rehab. In the middle of her treatment, she receives word that her mother has suffered a brain aneurysm. Of course, as soon as you plan for anything, even if it’s spur-of-the-moment, the weather Gods hear you and there is a freak snowstorm that closes all the roads.
Darby (Havana Rose Liu) decides to hole up at a rest stop. With no phone reception, Darby tries to check on her mother’s status and ducks outside to see if she can get a signal.
New Thriller Movies 2022
Happenstances and an isolated setting make for a tense environment. In No Exit, this becomes even more so when Darby hears a strange noise and discovers a bound and gagged tween in the back of one of the parked vehicles. What I love about Darby’s character is that throughout the entire film, she makes smart decisions. In addition to a taut story with fantastic twists and turns, Havana Rose Lui who plays the lead anti-damsel in distress is extremely convincing in her role. She understands immediately that this is a delicate situation and that one of the people taking shelter at the rest stop with her is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.
Despite my opening sentiment that some performers are typecast as either villains or heroes, watching the story unfold in the way it does was the perfect antidote to measure that sometimes this doesn’t really matter. Even after all the surprises were revealed, the end result was still something that warranted attention. There are enough dark secrets within each of the players to engage with and have an opinion on. The dynamic between strangers in this semi-whodunnit adds extra tenacity to events rather than takes them away from them.
No Exit Is A Solid Thriller
The four-stranded travelers Ash, Lars, Ed, and Sandi decide to play cards to pass the time. They choose a fitting game called bulls*it. A nice detail to mirror the already intense mistrust between Darby and everyone else. Who is the best liar? She needs to figure out who might be evil enough to kidnap a child. Moreso, she wants to rescue her before anyone realizes what she knows. Darby uses this opportunity to get a feel for the people she is trapped with.
There isn’t much to No Exit that hasn’t been done before. However, that doesn’t mean it’s a bad film. Far from it in fact. No Exit is a fantastic example of a single-setting no-frills thriller movie that you should save for a stormy day.
No Exit movie is rated
4 nail guns are handy to have out of 5
Looking for more single location thriller movies? Watch The Oak Room | Harpoon | or On The Line next.
Where to Watch “No Exit” Film in your region
Looking for another recommended mystery and thriller movie? Watch Deep Water | Here Before | or Murder Death Korea Town (Found Footage) next.
No Exit film is streaming on: