No Exit, 2022.
Directed by Damien Power.
Starring Havana Rose Liu, Danny Ramirez, Dennis Haysbert, Dale Dickey, David Rysdahl, Mila Harris, Benedict Wall, and Kirsty Hamilton.
SYNOPSIS:
During a blizzard and stranded at an isolated highway rest stop in the mountains, a college student discovers a kidnapped child hidden in a car belonging to one of the people inside.
The press release for No Exit asks critics to keep plot details to a minimum, which is something I usually roll my eyes at, but in this case, it’s an understandable request. Twists are all No Exit is really about. Unfortunately, they aren’t exciting or logical revelations, but the kind that trash up the joint with characters and situations so patently stupid that when it’s all over, it’s tough to imagine a dumber movie releasing throughout the remainder of 2022.
Essentially, No Exit is a whodunnit set inside a visitor’s center during a snowstorm, where protagonist Darby (Havana Rose Liu, offering up a convincingly resilient and determined performance) stumbles across a tied up young girl in the back of a van parked outside the visitor center. Why she doesn’t just get the girl out of the van right away will always remain a mystery to me, even if there is potential danger inside the building and no cell phone service. The first bafflingly insulting gap in logic comes with Darby going back inside to try and figure out which of the four individuals could be responsible for something so reprehensible.
And because director Damien Power’s thriller (it’s also an adaptation of Taylor Adams’ novel, turned into a screenplay by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari) is loaded with contrivances, this small sheltered group laying low during the storm decide to play a card game called “Bullshit” that grants Darby a chance to ask some questions and learn some bluffing tells. Packed into the space are a traveling couple on the way to Vegas, a man on his way home, and an unhinged sore loser that quickly becomes the prime suspect. There are some valuable tidbits we learn about each character, such as Dennis Haysbert’s Ed having served in the Marines and his wife Sandy (Dale Dickey with an awful role here that makes me glad the movie is being dumped before someone distributes her potential awards vehicle from Sundance, Love Song) was a nurse. David Ramirez’ Ash is the handsome type that we can only assume will assist Darby, whereas David Rysdahl’s Lars appears as such a fit for the culprit that it would be a shock if there weren’t any misdirection going on.
Darby also has a backstory that is so tacked on and overlooked throughout No Exit that it’s frankly embarrassing that it’s used for character motivation. The story tries to tie her past into the situation during one last act of survival, but it’s all hollow and becomes extra-insulting during the ending. The rest of No Exit is so incredibly dopey that it doesn’t register as necessarily offputting or making light of serious character flaws. As for the four characters she is stuck with, they also have their stupid moments. Although it should be said that Dennis Haysbert is given one compelling scene regarding what to do about the situation, and that young Mila Harris is doing is trying her best as the kidnapped Jay. The survival aspect also has a few clever callbacks to earlier developments in the story.
No Exit would have worked if the script (and presumably the book is based on) weren’t so obsessed with tricking the viewer to the point where none of it is even remotely credible anymore. There is competent craftsmanship to some of the chases and violent struggles with a small ensemble trying to elevate the material (aside from maybe David Rysdahl, who plays creepy dialed up to 11 from beginning to end), all of which gives the proceedings a sheen of dumb fun. The problem is that the dumb far outweighs the joy. At one point, No Exit trots out a reveal that is not only laughably convenient and lazily explained but cements that it’s the only thing the script is trying to do. And it can’t even do that with a smidge of intelligence.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
