End of the Road, a Netflix original film, tells the story of the Freeman family as they become involved in a crime that puts their lives in risk. It acts as an action-packed thriller with Queen Latifah in the starring position while also shedding awareness on racism’s problems and the threats it still presents to black families. The movie employs a variety of techniques to maintain a consistent pace for its plot, which has characters who are always in peril. The audience is frequently kept on the edge of their seats, praying that the characters would survive the dangerous situation in which they are stuck with no one to call for assistance. The Freeman family ultimately does all it needs to live. Here’s all you need to know if you’re wondering whether or not they survive. Spoilers follow.
End of the Road Plot Synopsis
Brenda Freeman has through some difficult months. She needed the money for her husband Jake’s treatment after he fell ill, and she obtained it by obtaining bank loans. She was left without money after Jake passed away, and the bank also confiscated her home. She decides to go from LA to Texas because she now has two children to care for. They are travelling for three days with Reggie, Brenda’s brother. They are hoping to be at their destination before time runs out since they cannot afford any delays or detours. Simply put, they lack the funds to cover unplanned expenses.
The cheapest motel they could locate is where they stay for the first night of their journey. In the following room, a guy is killed later that evening. He had taken money from Mr. Cross, a drug lord with connections to the Sinaloa cartel. Brenda and Reggie attempt to assist the man when his attacker leaves him alone, but he dies shortly after. Brenda is unaware that Reggie has taken a bag of cash from the man’s room. The Freeman family faces numerous issues as a result of this error, with each member narrowly escaping death.
End of the Road Ending: Who is Mr. Cross?
END OF THE ROAD (2022) Beau Bridges as Hammers. Cr: Ursula Coyote/NETFLIX
The fact that the money belonged to Mr. Cross makes it problematic to steal it from the deceased. The only thing the Freemans know about him is that he is a dangerous criminal. Although they have no notion of his appearance, the difficulty is that despite having never met them, he appears to know everything about them. The Freemans are aware that they can’t rely on anyone, especially given the area’s high concentration of white supremacists who wouldn’t think twice about murdering the entire family. They come across a lifeboat in the form of Hammers, a police officer. But in a shocking turn of events, Mr. Cross is actually Hammers.
Hammers introduces himself to us at the crime site and tells that he has been looking for Mr. Cross for a very long time. Even though other officers have already met with the Freemans and taken their statements, he seems determined to do so. Brenda is asked to return, but when she declines, he gives her his number and offers to meet her somewhere along the road. This gives the impression that Hammers is the person who is determined to bring Mr. Cross down. It’s not until much later that everything becomes sense.
As the Freemans slept next door, Hammers arrived at the motel that evening and shot the man who had stolen his money. Hammers couldn’t afford to stay around for long enough to seek for the bag containing the money because they were awakened by the commotion. He leaves without a care in the world because he knows that he will be called in the following day when the murder will be reported. He doesn’t anticipate the Freemans taking the money, but when they do, he tries to approach them in the role of a police officer in the hopes that they will feel comfortable with him and quickly return the money.
END OF THE ROAD (2022) Mychala Faith Lee as Kelly, Shaun Dixon as Cam, and Chris Bridges as Reggie. Cr: Ursula Coyote/NETFLIX
Hammers decides to approach Brenda in a different way when she makes it plain that she won’t return to the motel and will speak with him at her convenience. It’s important to note that he is the only person to have lately acquired her phone number and spoken to her in this case. Brenda gets a call after Hammers’ is disconnected that appears to be from Mr. Cross. He phones her from a different number this time, hiding his genuine voice by using a voice modulator. Brenda doesn’t make the connection when he asks her to bring the money back. Everyone around her, including her, thinks Mr. Cross is a cartel member who avoids contact with law enforcement. He turns out to be a real cop, though.
When Hammers appears shortly after Cam’s abduction, we learn more about his identity. He had stopped attempting to speak with Brenda in his formal position at this point. How did he know where she was going when she didn’t inform him? How did he know where Kelly and Reggie were? Additionally, a real cop would have pulled Brenda over when a dispatch reported her for speeding so they could approach her and ask her about the crime. Instead, knowing that Brenda is after his money, Hammers orders the other officers to back off and let her leave.
Similar to Kelly and Reggie, Hammers asks both of them to duck down when he thinks a car is following them while they are in his automobile. They perceive it as a cartel attack by Mr. Cross. The truth is that Hammers didn’t want anyone to notice the two black persons in his car because if they had been seen, Hammers would have a witness to his crimes after the Freemans were dead. While the audience is under the impression that Hammers is a good man, none of these warning signs make sense. But once we realise that he is Mr. Cross, everything he does starts to make sense.
What Happens to Mr. Cross’ Money?
END OF THE ROAD (2022) Shaun Dixon as Cam, Chris Bridges as Reggie, Queen Latifah as Brenda and Mychala Faith Lee as Kelly. Cr: Ursula Coyote/NETFLIX
Reggie stealing Mr. Cross’ money sets the Freemans’ problems in motion. He had no idea that he was robbing a drug boss. He only knew that his sister was in severe need of assistance and that with the money in the bag, they would be able to start over and move on to a better situation. Brenda resists his attempts to persuade her to keep the money because she understands that it is blood money and that nothing positive can result from it. When the money gets them into trouble with Mr. Cross, her concerns are validated.
In the end, one would assume that Reggie has learnt his lesson by now given all the hazardous scenarios they managed to avoid. Reggie again asks Brenda to hold onto the cash as they flee from Hammers’ residence. Reggie leaves the bag behind but steals some cash out of it after she rejects him once more. He obviously keeps his sister in the dark. He probably intended to keep the cash hidden until a suitable justification could be used to explain how he had suddenly found so much money.
Reggie is unable to keep the money a secret in spite of his best efforts. Brenda, who is his sister, is aware of when Reggie is being coy. The Freemans eat breakfast at a diner after Mr. Cross has been dealt with and they are no longer in danger. Brenda takes one glance at Reggie and immediately assumes that he has done something wrong when he offers to pay for it. She orders him to return the money after he admits that he stole some of it from the bag. However, Mr. Cross’ departure leaves no one to whom to return it.
The Freemans are free to take the money and make whatever decisions they want with it because no one who knew about it is still alive. Brenda is compelled to change her mind and believes that it would be best for her family to spend that money to restart their life after learning that her children are in favour of Reggie’s activities. Now that no one is after them, they may live in peace.
