Millicent Shelton

Queen Latifah and Chris Bridges anchor a predictable thriller that also manages to spin a charming tale of family unity.A family of four traverses an obstacle course of Wild West crime escapades in the charming caper “End of the Road.” Queen Latifah and Chris Bridges anchor the antics as Brenda, a mother of two teenagers, and Reggie, Brenda’s layabout younger brother. Their sibling alliance forms the heart of the movie, and the pair toggle credibly between a combative dynamic and a considerate one.When the movie begins, Brenda has resolved to move the brood from California to Texas following the death of her husband. Her children (Mychala Faith Lee and Shaun Dixon) are bitter about being uprooted from their home. The story takes place during their road trip across the Southwest, but what begins as a quiet journey through the desert spirals into a violent chase after the family become earwitnesses to a grisly motel murder.Despite its thriller structure, this crime story offers little surprise or intrigue. With a brief running time, the movie unspools simply: each beat is predictable, and even the identity of the unseen felon is a mystery easily solved.But this plainness of plot — and a sparsity of the action set pieces that often clog up such movies — ultimately proves a boon to “End of the Road,” leaving space for the director, Millicent Shelton, to nurture a comforting tale of family unity. Shelton also demonstrates a creative eye; check out her use of purple lighting during certain night scenes. Even when the movie wants for tension, it brims with playful style.End of the RoadRated R for drugs and danger. Running time: 1 hour 29 minutes. Watch on Netflix. More