In the thriller “End of the Roadway, “Queen Latifah and Chris “Ludacris” Bridges play Brenda and Reggie, a just recently widowed emergency-room nurse and her ne’er-do-well bro, setting off on a road trip from Los Angeles to Houston with Brenda’s kids (Shaun Dixon and Mychala Lee) in the back of a station wagon. In Tucson on Day 1, an undesirable encounter with a number of racists is simply a precursor of far worse things to come for this foursome, as they make their way through an inhospitable landscape that Reggie likens to Location 51– other than they’re the aliens. For instance: They witness a murder in the motel space next door, then Brenda discovers the next day that Reggie has taken a bag filled with cash that he found in the dead man’s bathroom. Needless to state, they’re rapidly the item of a manhunt– by the hidden mob boss who declares it’s his cash, and by an Arizona state cannon fodder (Beau Bridges) who claims he wants to protect them from the mob employer. Things play out as you may expect– a kidnapping, a rolling gun fight, and various and sundry rivals for the loot– with one rather unexpected and rewarding turn of occasions to keep the otherwise foreseeable plot fascinating. But the main pleasure is watching what Latifah (who is likewise the movie’s executive producer) finishes with the formulaic product. In her hands, Brenda is a mom bear not to be messed with. R. Available on Netflix. Contains some strong, bloody violence, substance abuse, sexual scenes and strong language. 91 minutes.
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/movies/2022/09/08/september-9-new-streaming-movie-roundup/