Movie Monday: Next Exit

My husband and I took a break from the hectic holiday season recently with a movie. I chose Next Exit. I'm not sure where I first heard about this movie, but it was on my very long list (an Excel spreadsheet!) of movies I want to watch. The premise sounds a bit dark (and my husband doesn't like dark), but I liked the trailer and read that it had some humor in it. We both enjoyed it very much, though it is hard to categorize, as it includes elements of drama, comedy, and even science fiction.

The movie is set against a science fiction backdrop, but that only comes into the story at the very beginning and the end. A scientist has proven there is an afterlife, and her video of a little boy playing cards with the "ghost" of his dead father brings wide media attention to her work. She's overseeing a large study, where people volunteer to go into the afterlife (i.e. die), and she has developed a way to track them into that world. But this film focuses in on just two people who have signed up for the study: Rose, played by Katie Parker, and Teddy, played by Rahul Kohli. Rose is haunted by a ghostly presence that seems to be her dead father, and she copes by drinking heavily. We're not sure at first why Teddy signed up for the study, except that he seems to be mostly alone in the world, with no family. The two of them are both headed cross-country to California and only have five days to get there. Due to a series of travel mishaps, they end up sharing a rental car. Rose is especially prickly at first and not interested in getting to know Teddy, but the long hours on the road, plus some challenges they encounter together eventually lead to them talking and gradually sharing their stories and connecting, in spite of Rose's reticence. 

If that sounds depressing--two strangers sharing a ride on their way to commit suicide--it's not! In fact, it's a surprisingly uplifting movie. It has a great sense of humor, with plenty of funny moments to add levity to the somber plot. The two lead characters are both excellent, and it's entertaining to watch them slowly engage with each other. As they each gradually reveal information about their history and the reasons why they embarked on this trip, the viewer comes along for the ride (if you'll excuse the metaphor). And, yes, it's a road trip movie, so there is plenty of inherent fun in that trope (though, as a veteran road-tripper, I thought their route made no sense--but it was good for the story). All in all, this isn't a story about death; it's a story about life. It's about hope, meaning, and connections. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Next Exit is currently available on Hulu and for a fee on many other streaming platforms.