No Exit Review

gamerant.com:

The locked room is a staple of the mystery and thriller genres. The idea that numerous characters are all stuck together while one of them hides a dark secret often makes for a solid setup to a tense story. It's clear that No Exit, the latest 20th Century Studios film to hit Hulu, wants to pay homage to these types of stories: the bulk of the movie takes place in one setting, and focuses mainly on just five characters.

While there's no doubt that the setup for No Exit makes it seem like an enticing thriller, the movie, unfortunately, doesn't utilize any of its elements to the fullest. There are hints that No Exit might have excelled more under different circumstances, but as it is, the movie comes up short in more ways than one.

Stranded Strangers Play A Dangerous Game In The First Trailer For No Exit

The setup for the story is fleet and uncomplicated. Main character Darby is in a court-ordered rehab when she learns that her mother has had an aneurysm and is in the hospital. She is not permitted to leave, but manages to escape the facility, steal a car, and hit the road. However, a severe snowstorm forces her to stop at a roadside visitors center with four other travelers. There, Darby discovers a young girl tied up and gagged in a van, meaning someone among the group is a kidnapper.

Those who may expect this to set up a drawn-out, slow-burn mystery as to identifying who this van belongs to may be in for some disappointment. The van's owner is revealed very early in the film, making this more of a thriller with the question of how Darby is going to help this girl, and survive, while she is trapped at the visitors center (which is devoid of both cell service and Wi-Fi) with the kidnapper.

No Exit, to its credit, does something