Next Exit is a fresh, hauntingly beautiful journey to the other side that blends supernatural science fiction and dark romantic comedy. Ghosts have been elegantly explored in horror films countless times: The Others, Tigers Are Not Afraid, and La Llorona to name a few deeply affecting ghost stories. While writer and director Mali Elfman’s debut feature doesn’t match the dramatic and emotional depth of those films, it uniquely questions the existence of the afterlife as a heightened consciousness, while tackling the themes of trauma, grief, guilt, and suicidal ideation.
It begins with a composition by Ariel Marx, a frighteningly ominous and curious score of string instruments leading us cautiously down a dark corridor into a child’s bedroom. This is usually where a dark entity will creep out of the shadows, but instead, young Reo (Gavin Powers) begins to play cards with his dead father. The footage of their encounter has been released to the world, leading to rising reports of homicides and suicides. Without the consequence of souls traveling to heaven or hell, the rules of morality no longer apply.
In a reality where irrefutable proof exists that “death is merely a transition to another existence,” Rose (Katie Parker) and Teddy (Rahul Kohli), both harboring pain, regrets, and secrets, long to end their lives. In the hopes of achieving death, both have volunteered as participants who elect to die by assisted suicide to further the research of Dr. Stevenson’s (Karen Gillan) Life Beyond study. Following their meet cute, the two strangers embark on a road trip from New York City to San Francisco. The pair meet people along the way and confront truths about themselves that ultimately redirect their paths in unexpected ways.
It’s Rose’s pain, regret, guilt, and shame that really drive the story. She’s alienated herself from her sister, and become exhaustingly cynical, callous, and unpleasant. Interestingly enough, her irritability with life and everything and everyone around her is a relatable symptom of depression. Parker gives an emotionally vulnerable performance, convincingly portraying the depth of Rose’s internal chaos and despair. Every negative emotion she has about herself has gone so far as to manifest into a dark entity that haunts her when her emotions become overwhelming. Audiences will resonate with Rose’s emotional turmoil and subsequent transformation throughout the film.
In true road movie style, Next Exit examines the themes of alienation and the human condition as Rose and Teddy rebel against conservative social norms on their quest to die. Rose has isolated herself as punishment for her past mistakes, while Teddy is burdened with the heartache of childhood abandonment, with both regretting lives that, in many ways, haven’t been lived. With only five days to reach Rose’s appointment with death, they meander from exit to exit, making discoveries about each other and why life might still be worth living along the way.
