The plot of 'Dead End' revolves around the Harrington family, who on Christmas Eve are making their annual journey to Grandma's house for a Christmas family reunion. After deciding to take a short cut on a deserted forest road the father of the family dozes off at the wheel and narrowly escapes a head on collision with another vehicle. Continuing on with their journey the family soon realise they are lost on a seemingly endless road, and the only road sign points to a town which doesn't even appear on their map. Soon after the father notices a distressed looking woman holding a baby on the edge of the forest, he stops the car they decide to help her, and then their nightmare begins. From this point you're expecting an average psychotic killer loose in the forest kind of film, but to its credit 'Dead End' has something much better, a clever plot. Dead End smartly uses the 'less is more' school of filmmaking to great effect. There is very little gore, you never see anyone killed and there are absolutely no unnecessary scenes that deviate from the story; instead the film cleverly relies on its strong characters, all the while constructing a framework of anxiety and tension, leaving the actual horror to the viewers imagination. Personally, the only thing that slightly let this film down was the character of Richard played by Mick Cain, casting an actor clearly in his mid twenties to play an immature teenager spoilt an otherwise great cast. Overall, 'Dead End' is without doubt one of the most inventive, gripping and enjoyable horror films of late. The film has a dark and creepy feel throughout, the dialogue is sharp and witty, and the creative direction sustains the suspense throughout. If you are looking for a gore filled full on horror then 'Dead End' isn't it, but if you're looking for a psychological thriller that will not only hold your interest, but will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this is one of the best films you'll see in a long time.
this film was ok it didn't seem to make at first but they bought it together nicly at the end
I enjoyed this film, although I guessed what was happening. The acting was good, and there were plenty of laughs among the horror, but the character of Richard was very annoying as his acting was over the top. The "mother" character and the daughter were great. Recommended.