Next Exit – Movie Review
Director: Mali Elfman
Writer: Mali Elfman (Screenplay)
Cast
- Katie Parker (The Haunting of Bly Manor)
- Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass)
- Karen Gillan (Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle)
- Ty Molbak (Babylon)
- Jim Ortlieb (Flatliners)
Plot: Two unhappy strangers find themselves on a road trip across the U.S. to partake in a scientist’s radical experiment with the afterlife.
Runtime: 1 Hour 46 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: Next Exit starts as Dr Stevensen (Gillan) has created a way to communicate with ghosts. This has created a dangerous change in society, having an increased suicide rate. Rose (Parker) and Teddy (Kohli) are two of the latest candidates for the experiment and must reluctantly travel together across the country together.
Starting with a cold journey, Rose not wanting to communicate with Teddy. However, Rose starts to come around on the journey, as they both express why they both want to end their lives as part of the experiment.
Verdict on Next Exit
Characters
Rose has been selling everything in her life to take part in an experiment. She has been depressed for years and this is the answer to her depression before she gets to become a ghost. Rose is very cold toward strangers, showing no patience with them. However, she is haunted by something that lurks in the shadows.
Teddy is a much more open person, despite his own battles with depression. He tries to build a friendship on the journey, before opening up about his failed attempts.
The two characters get to show the difficulties and differences people with depression can see on the outside. They create an understanding of how to address the problems they have been through in life.
In the supporting characters, we get to meet people from their lives and Dr Stevensen, the mastermind behind the process.
Performances
Katie Parker and Rahul Kohli are both brilliant in the leading roles. They create a natural new friendship on the journey, as they put up with things that make each other mad. The pair create the emotional journey that their characters go on through the movie.
Story
The story follows two strangers that have signed up for the same experiment and find themselves needing to travel together across the country. It sees the pair express their decision as to why they have agreed to take part in this end-of-life process. As the journey unfolds they find new meaning to their depression and are left with the decision to go through with it or not.
This story gets to explore a world where a scientist claims to be able to bring ghosts back to the living. Following two depressed people who have agreed to be part of the experiment as they discuss what led them to this decision. This creates a big talking point about depression and how it can be seen. A moral discussion going on in the background around whether it should be legal or not.
The movie uses the mystery of what might happen in the afterlife to drive us forward. With the opening sequence is a massive drawing point for the movie. There are creepy sequences in the movie, that make things have an uneasy effect and show the past haunting people.
Where to Watch: Blue Finch Film Releasing presents Next Exit on digital platforms on 20th February.
Final Thoughts –Next Exit is a mesmerising mystery with a massive discussion on the table.
