Family road trips are often very stressful, especially when you’re forced to listen to your kids shouting “are we there yet” at five-minute intervals. But none are as stressful as the road trip faced by Brenda (Queen Latifah) and her family in Netflix’s new thriller. When her husband dies, Brenda decides to relocate to Texas with her brother Reggie (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and her two kids, Cam and Kelly, but during their cross-country road trip, the family get into trouble when Reggie finds and takes money that belongs to a crime boss known as Mr. Cross. The criminal demands the return of the money but when Brenda tries to comply, life becomes even more difficult for her when she realises the cash has gone missing. So, what happens to the money? And do Brenda and her family get out of trouble? Let’s take a closer look at the movie:
How does Reggie find the money?
The money is originally in the hands of a drugs cartel and this is later passed to two men who work for the mysterious Mr. Cross. One of these men, Harvey Ruck, betrays his partner, kills him, and flees with the cash. He hides out in a motel and this is where Brenda and Reggie find him. Unfortunately, they don’t find Harvey alive and well and living life to the full in his motel room. After booking a stay in the room next door to Harvey, the family hear a gunshot from the man’s room. When Brenda and Reggie investigate, they find his dying body. As she is a certified nurse, Brenda desperately tries to save his life and she asks Reggie to get towels from a bathroom. When looking in a cupboard for the towels, Reggie also finds the money. Unbeknownst to Brenda, Reggie takes the money, not for selfish gain but because he thinks it will help his family. Unfortunately, his actions do his family more harm than good.
Does Brenda find out what Reggie has done?
After giving their statements to the police, the family continue on their journey. Brenda then receives two phone calls. One call is from Arizona state trooper Captain J.D. Hammers (Beau Bridges) asking her to return to the motel and another is from a stranger who demands that she give back the money. After speaking to the stranger, she realises what Reggie has done. While initially unwilling to break up her journey and return to the motel, she finally decides she needs to in order to return the stolen money. After placing the bag in the motel room, she leaves a key under the doormat and calls the stranger to let them know the money has been returned.
Are Brenda and her family safe?
After abiding by the stranger’s instructions, you could assume that Brenda and her family are now safe. Unfortunately, their lives are still in danger. While enjoying a day out with her family at a Wild West-themed park, Cam decides he needs to use the washroom. Meanwhile, Brenda receives another call from the stranger. The person on the phone tells her that Cam has been abducted from the washroom by Mr. Cross and that if she wants to see him again, she has to deliver the money to a specific location. Leaving Kelly with Reggie, Brenda returns to the motel but when she gets to the room where the money was placed, she discovers the bag of cash has gone.
Where is the money?
When Brenda returned the money, she was sighted by one of the motel’s staff members. On her return to the motel, she realises the money has been taken. After a brief moment of panic, she sees the female employee with the bag. Brenda gives chase and follows the girl to a trailer park. While here, Brenda is confronted by a group of white extremists. She is then knocked unconscious by the girl. When she wakes up, she tackles her captors and demands the release of the money they have taken. They don’t take her seriously at first but when she tells them it belongs to Mr. Cross, they tremble at the name and give the money back to her. Meanwhile, Reggie and Cam meet with Captain Hammers. Kelly lets him know what has happened to Cam and she and Reggie then journey with Hammers to his ranch, which is supposed to be a place of safety for them while he carries out his investigation into Cam’s disappearance. Hammers introduces the two of them to his wife, a woman who looks warm and hospitable. Unfortunately, she is anything but. It turns out that Hammers is Mr. Cross, his wife is his accomplice, and they are the people responsible for Cam’s kidnapping.
Is this the end of the road for the family?
Reggie, Kelly, and Cam get locked inside Hammer’s basement. While there, the corrupt Captain calls Brenda and demands that she brings the money to him. The captured trio manage to escape and when Hammers tries to stop them, they throw bleach in his eyes. They then overpower his wife and lock her and Hammers in the basement. At this point, Brenda arrives and is elated to see that her family are safe. She leaves the bag of money on the driveway and leaves with her family. But before they can get far, Hammers and his wife escape from the basement and come after them. A car chase ensues, resulting in Brenda falling out of the car that Reggie is driving. It looks like the end is nigh for Brenda when Hammers and his wife try to run her down but when she throws a road flare into their car, she survives while the two crooks perish in the burning car.
What happens to the money?
While sitting in a diner, light-fingered Reggie reveals that he took some of the money from the bag to help the family get a fresh start. Brenda is not happy about this news and she tells her family that they need to give it back. There is just one problem: they don’t know to who the money originally belonged! Reluctantly, Brenda decides to keep the cash when she realises there is nobody to hand it to. The movie ends with them enjoying breakfast, presumably helping themselves to a second helping with the money that Reggie has secured for them! Read More: End of the Road Movie Review
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