Director: Aaron Jay Rome
Writer: Aaron Jay Rome (Screenplay)
Starring: Aaron Jay Rome, Eric LeBlanc, Ashley Lenz, Jaren Mitchell, Michelle West
Plot: On a calm night in an average city a hardworking URYDE driver, Brandon, picks up just another fare, Judd. Using interactions that blur the lines between the technological world and the physical one, Judd explains a messy breakup. Brandon offers an empathetic ear and a sympathetic heart to his new friend to help him pick up the pieces. Aggregated profiles, algorithms, links, likes and comments bring people closer. But how close is too close?
Tagline – Just another night for URYDE driver, Brandon, until he picks up Judd and the night takes a few U-turns.
Runtime: 1 Hour 26 Minutes
There may be spoilers the rest of the review
Verdict: Chilling Thriller
Story: End Trip starts like any other night for Brandon (Rome) an Uyder (Basically Uber) driver that works the nights, he has had a string of normal customers with their stories of their nights before he gets called for mysterious passenger (West) going by the name Judd.
The two spend the night getting to know each other as they exchange life advice, all while Brandon’s fiancée Stef (Lenz) is being held captive needing to fight to survive against a twisted serial killer.
Thoughts on End Trip
Characters – The Passenger going by the name of Judd seems to be going through a rough time, he just wants a friend to listen to his problems on this night, he is happy to have Brandon’s ear to talk too, even if he is doing more listening then Brandon is prepared for. Brandon is an everyday Uyder driver, he works the night and gets good reviews from his clients, until he meets Judd, a man that needs someone to talk, this is what he does, help him through his struggles. Brandon tells his stories of his life and wife to be and his favorite location. Stef is the fiancée of Brandon that is being held captive in her own home, she will need to stay ahead of her capturer to stay alive.
Performances – The performances from the three main stars are wonderfully, Aaron Jay Rome give us the innocent style his character needs, while performing from behind the camera too. Dean J West gives a great performance across the board with his characters changes seeming effortless. Ashely Lenz gives us a god performance as the one trying to keep calm in a pressure situation.
Story – The story keeps things simple with how everything unfolds, with a large part of the film being the interactions between Brandon and his Passenger. There is a twist in the story which does take the story in a new intense level for the second half and is one that will leave you on the edge of your seat until the final moments. Keeping it simple helps us out and with the shocking twist being refreshing to keep things flowing nicely throughout.
Horror – The horror in the film comes from the true actions of the Passenger, while more of the focus comes from how the film keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Settings – The film takes place over a city, we see how anybody could be getting the ride and the different type of characters Brandon will be meeting over the night.
Special Effects – The effects are not used very often, but when they are, they are effective for what is being shown, the film focuses more on the tension.
Scene of the Movie – The wedding planner.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – This will contain a spoiler, so I don’t want to say what the scene involves, but a certain sequence goes on too long.
Final Thoughts – This is a good thriller that keeps us on edge from start to finish, the split timeline does get the payoff it deserves and this does have an air of tension throughout.
Overall: Thrilling throughout
Rating
