Dead End

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Dead End

R

2003

1h 23m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

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Popcornmeter

80%

Tomatometer

10 Reviews

59%

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10,000+ Ratings

When a family en route to a Christmas Eve gathering decides to takes a shortcut down a wooded road, an eerie sequence of events signals trouble ahead. After nearly colliding with an oncoming car, father Frank (Ray Wise) picks up a ghostly hitchhiker (Amber Smith) and her infant child. With the sudden appearance of their new passengers, the route becomes dark and treacherous -- and the family's numbers rapidly begin to dwindle in a series of seemingly connected, grisly roadside accidents.

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David Day

Horror Movie Talk

Dead End takes a car ride and slowly builds it from something mildly disconcerting to something so horrifying and perverse that I knew it was something special many years ago after I first watched it.

Rated: 8/10

Sep 18, 2025

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Paul Lê

Bloody Disgusting

The ending, which comes out of nowhere for no one other than the characters, will urge viewers to deduct points from the overall score, but this is a movie where the journey is far more important than the destination.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 7, 2023

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

There's just nothing here to like at all.

Apr 29, 2009

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 3/5

Apr 1, 2006

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Johnny Butane

Dread Central

A small film like Dead End sneaks in and manages to floor pretty much everyone that's seen it.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 1, 2006

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Brian Mckay

eFilmCritic.com

There's great promise in Dead End, and a script that is often clever, combined with a carload of decent actors, really helps cover a multitude of flaws.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 9, 2005

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Carlos I

It's a cool little horror flick that offers a creepy and claustrophobic road trip into the unknown. The low-budget French film nails a sense of mounting dread and features a truly unnerving atmosphere as a dysfunctional family finds themselves on a seemingly endless, dark road. I particularly love the ambiguity of the ending and the metaphysical ideas that the filmmakers play with regarding fate, death, and consequence, making it a surprisingly thought-provoking midnight movie.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/21/25

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MaryAnn M.

Perfection! A lot of fun

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

09/05/25

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Raymond C

Despite a creepy atmosphere and well done scares, Dead End is let down by unlikable characters and a confusing ending.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

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Garry A

It works better as a comedy than a horror flick. The first half of the film was funny and outrageous. After that it got more serious and less interesting.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/25

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Tyler B

Repetitive, but in a satisfying way.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/07/25

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Jeremy A

This move made me LOL at least 20 times. So great. the other supernatural crap isnt needed.... but the end is great. 4.5*

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

11/18/24

Full Review

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Jean-Baptiste Andrea

Director

Fabrice Canepa

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Synopsis

When a family en route to a Christmas Eve gathering decides to takes a shortcut down a wooded road, an eerie sequence of events signals trouble ahead. After nearly colliding with an oncoming car, father Frank (Ray Wise) picks up a ghostly hitchhiker (Amber Smith) and her infant child. With the sudden appearance of their new passengers, the route becomes dark and treacherous -- and the family's numbers rapidly begin to dwindle in a series of seemingly connected, grisly roadside accidents.

Director: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa
Producer: James Huth, Gabriella Stollenwerck
Screenwriter: Jean-Baptiste Andrea, Fabrice Canepa
Rating: R
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 11, 2018
Runtime: 1h 23m
Sound Mix: Surround

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