No Exit Review: Havana Rose Liu Leads An Effective, Compelling Thriller
No Exit, based on the novel of the same name by Taylor Adams, is an impressive survival thriller that doesn’t overexert itself by being too flashy. With the story unfolding in one location, a lean screenplay and a terrific lead performance by Havana Rose Liu help shape this compelling thriller as it subverts expectations and holds viewers' attention until the very end.
The story follows Darby (Liu), a college student undergoing rehab for drug addiction. Darby is obviously not thrilled by the experience and is eager to leave, but that’s when an earth-shattering call reaches her — her mother is in the hospital. Desperate to reach her mother in time, Darby escapes the facility but a blizzard forces her to seek shelter in a mountain rest stop. Darby enters thinking her family drama and personal demons were her biggest problems. Little does she know that to leave this shelter she will have to fight for her life.
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In her feature film debut as a lead, Havana Rose Liu proves to be an impressive rising star. Liu carries No Exit with an emotive performance that needs little words, with the actress expertly utilizing her eyes to convey a range of emotions and thoughts. With a short window of time to set up who Darby is, Liu’s performance is layered, giving the character a complexity that will have the audience resonating with her. Viewers aren’t rooting for her to survive just because she's the protagonist, but because we want her to overcome her troubles. Joining Liu on this thrilling fight for survival are Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl, Dennis Haysbert and Dale Dickey, each of whom bring a little something to add to the suspense and drama.
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