Jean-Baptiste Andrea and Fabrice Canepa wrote and directed the French horror film Dead End in 2003. In the movie, a dysfunctional family is found driving through the middle of a forest, facing a mysterious hearse while chasing a mysterious white woman.
What Exactly Happens in the Film?
Frank Harrington (Ray Wise), a family man traveling on Christmas Eve, decides to take a shortcut through a remote area. There was also Laura’s (Lin Shaye) son Richard, Marion’s boyfriend Brad and their daughter, Marion’s boyfriend, Richard. While driving at night, Frank begins to drift off to sleep at the wheel, only to be woken by his family’s screams, alerting him of an oncoming car, which he manages to avoid.
Following an inspection of his vehicle, he continues to drive. Her husband claims he was bored and wasn’t sure what route to take to her mother-in-law’s. Laura questions him as to why he took the alternate route. Frank stops the car suddenly after the siblings argue about seeing a white woman in the forest. Instead, Frank sees the woman holding a baby outside his window.
When she sees how stressed the lady looks and decides that she requires assistance, Marion helps to walk to the vehicle and drop her at a house, where they can get help for her. The woman remained silent after getting into the car as her family asked questions. Frank and Laura investigate the woodshed when they get there.
Where Does it Gets Scary From?
Brad is informed that the woman’s child is named Amy by the woman. After discovering the child’s corpse, Brad, confused, is screamed at by what appears to be its body. Immediately after hearing the scream, the camera returns to Richard, who runs back to his car.
Brad or the woman does not follow him. But then Marion sees Brad shrieking for help in the back of a hearse as the vehicle drives down the road. Her family drives after the hearse while she runs back to them. Frank tells Laura that he hates visiting her family and that he has no idea how to direct them as tensions rise.
Locations Where Dead End (2003) was Filmed
This spook-comedy is half horror, half comedy. In spite of its modest budget, the film has impressive visuals. The film takes place entirely in one night on a stretch of asphalt highway flanked by trees, and it thrives because of its strong script. As a canny exploration of family dynamics, it really makes it different from other scary movies. Rather than fear monsters, the complexity of family is far scarier, perhaps Andrea is trying to imply.
The movie makes a location more apparent as 53rd Street, adjacent to the luxury building that the River House occupied at the time, which was then and is now at that location. East 53rd Street intersects with the East River on that corner, which is the actual Dead End. On the corner of East 53rd Street and Sutton Place South, you will find Sutton Place South.
Lastly, We Recommend
I really enjoy this movie because of its approach to comedy and the believable yet kooky characters. Aside from the seemingly supernatural occurrences around the road that they’re driving on and the twist at the end, I think you have all the ingredients for a solid horror movie that will make you laugh and will stay in your head for a long time. Made special by the dry humor and believable characters.
With the strange events taking place along this road that they are driving on and the unexpected twist at the end, I think you have a horror film that will make you laugh and will stay with you most disgustingly. Even though this movie is not very well known, it is still something you will not soon forget, which part of what makes horror movies so great is.
