No Exit (2022 film)

No Exit is a 2022 American thriller film directed by Damien Power from a screenplay by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Taylor Adams.

It stars Havana Rose Liu as a recovering drug addict who discovers a kidnapping in progress while stranded at a rest stop during a blizzard.

Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl, Dale Dickey, and Dennis Haysbert co-star as the four suspects while Mila Harris plays the victim.

Recovering addict Darby Thorne learns that her mother is in the hospital after suffering a brain aneurysm, and is undergoing emergency surgery.

Desperate to contact her family, Darby goes outside to find a cellphone signal and ends up discovering a kidnapped girl in a van belonging to one of the people inside.

Playing a round of Bullshit to pass the time, Darby uses her knowledge of the van's license plate to question the others about where they are from and heading to, ultimately deducing that Lars is the kidnapper.

It is revealed that Jay has a medical alert bracelet for Addison's disease, a rare condition which can cause an adrenaline overdose if the sufferer becomes too stressed.

As Lars exits the van to retrieve food for Jay, Darby sneaks back inside the cabin through the hole in the wall.

Ash reveals that they are transporting her to their "Uncle Kenny", who runs a human trafficking ring, while Lars ignorantly believes it to be "finding them better homes".

A flashback reveals that Sandi helped Ash and Lars take Jay from her home under the agreement she'd be ransomed, unaware of their true intentions.

[1] By March 12, 2019, Damien Power had signed on to direct the film, with Ant-Man's Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari adapting the screenplay.

[2] On June 29, 2021, Danny Ramirez, Dennis Haysbert, Havana Rose Liu, David Rysdahl, Dale Dickey, and Mila Harris were confirmed to star and it was announced that production had wrapped in New Zealand.

The website's consensus reads: "No Exit isn't quite a white-knuckle ride, but it may provide just enough mileage for viewers seeking reasonably diverting popcorn thrills.

[9] Frank Sheck of The Hollywood Reporter found that Damien Power skillfully manages to capture the plot mechanics through his direction, and complimented the performances of the actors, especially Liu's as a lead character.

[11] Lena Wilson of TheWrap complimented the diversity of the cast, and found the idea of a drug addict as a hero portrayed by an Asian actress original, but criticized the script that provides overused plot twists which diminishes their impact.

[12] Ross Bonaime of Collider gave the movie a C rating, complimenting the story and its suspense, while criticizing the inconstant level of violence and the development of Havana Rose's character.

[13] Hoai-Ttran Bui of /Film rated the film 6.5 out of 10 and praised the performances of the actors, especially Liu's, and the direction that manages to create a threatening set, but found the characterization of the characters disheartening.