Next Exit: Solid, Effective Performances Save An Underbaked Story [Tribeca]
Written and directed by Mali Elfman, Next Exit is an existential drama wrapped up in a road trip excursion with two strangers. The film boasts a pair of strong performances from Rahul Kohli (Midnight Mass) and Katie Parker (Doctor Sleep), who do much of the emotional heavy-lifting. While the film sets out to explore the meaning of life, the characters' place in it, and their pasts, there are some aspects of the story that don’t fully coalesce, making for an imbalanced — yet intriguing — feature.
In Next Exit, the controversial scientist Dr. Stevenson (Karen Gillan) has firmly answered the question regarding life after death. Yes, there is such a thing and people can volunteer to be a part of the experiment that links the afterlife with the living. Rose (Parker), who is seeing waking visions of a ghost-like figure, and Teddy (Kohli) have been selected for the experiment. With their appointment two days apart, Rose begrudgingly agrees to drive from New York to California to Dr. Stevenson’s facility. They’re complete strangers, but they have one thing in common — Rose and Teddy are both ready to die, each for different reasons relating to their pasts. On their road trip, they get closer, breaking through the walls they’ve had up for a long time, and pondering whether or not their decision to take part in the experiment is the right one despite being so sure about it at the start.
Related: Midnight Mass Star Rahul Kohli Says He Actually HATES Horror Movies
Next Exit is emotionally moving in a lot of ways. Rose and Teddy are haunted by past demons, mistakes they’ve made, regrets that have shaped their lives. They feel like there is nothing left for them. Though they start off on the wrong foot, it’s the strength of their
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