If you haven’t heard yet, Netflix has a new thriller on its hands with the film End of the Road. The movie follows a recently widowed woman, her two kids and her brother as they take a cross-country road trip only to find trouble along the way. When we say trouble, we mean a murder scene, a large amount of mysterious cash and some unsavory and ruthless criminals willing to do anything to retrieve that money.
The movie is basically a cautionary tale to be careful where you choose to stop when vacationing and a warning to leave random money where you found it, shy of a shiny new nickel you make come across on the street.
End of the Road is now playing on Netflix, but just who are the actors bringing this story to fruition? Let's meet the cast.
Queen Latifah as Brenda Freeman
Brenda is a certified nurse and recently widowed mother of two. She tragically lost her husband after his battle with cancer. Looking for a fresh start, Brenda decides to move her family to Texas, but first opts to take her kids and brother Reggie on a cross-country road trip. Unfortunately for her, Reggie's bad decision-making gets the family intertwined in some criminal activity, laced with white supremacy, and she's forced to turn into a fierce protector of her family.
Starring in the role of Brenda is the Grammy-winning rapper turned Emmy-winning actress Queen Latifah. She rose to prominence as quite the prolific rapper earning a Grammy in 1995 for her song "U.N.I.T.Y." While the music industry may be where her roots lie, her talent as an actress has cemented her as a household name.
Since launching her acting career, Queen Latifah has led her own sitcom on Fox, Living Single, been nominated for an Oscar for her supporting role in Chicago, been nominated for two Emmys for her acting chops in Bessie and Life Support and she now fronts one of the most-watched dramas on primetime, The Equalizer.
Ludacris as Reggie
Reggie is Brenda's younger brother. Although he has the best intentions for his sister, niece and nephew, he doesn't have a track record of always using the best judgment. While trying to help his sister jumpstart her new life, he makes one huge mistake that spirals into a series of bad events.
Starring as the other rapper turned actor in the film is Christopher Brian Bridges, aka Ludacris. He rose to fame as a musician, eventually earning three Grammys. As Ludacris made his way to the TV/film side of the entertainment industry, he was quick to prove he has what it takes to make it as an actor, starring in Crash, Hustle & Flow, shows like Law & Order: SVU and has been prominently featured in the hit Fast & Furious movies.
Beau Bridges as Captain J.D. Hammers
At first, the Arizona state trooper comes off as the epitome of the small-town cop archetype. However, it's not long before the "good" officer reveals that underneath his exterior is a more duplicitous human being that proves to be absolutely no help to Brenda during her terrifying experience in the middle of nowhere.
Beau Bridges plays the intriguing and layered Hammers. Bridges is a long-time actor in Hollywood, having over 200 acting credits to his name according to IMDb. Over the years, he’s managed to earn an impressive 16 Emmy nominations, winning three of his nominated categories. His most recent list of acting credits includes One Night in Miami, Greenleaf, Homeland and Goliath. He is also the brother of The Old Man star Jeff Bridges.
Frances Lee McCain as Val
Val is J.D.'s dutiful wife. Not only does she support her husband in all that he does, but she's also a willing participant. While she's no hero in the movie, no one can ever question her loyalty to her husband.
Frances Lee McCain plays Val. McCain is also not a novice in Hollywood having been in a number of movies and television shows. Her latest work includes roles as Marge in The Comeback Trail, as Sandra in The Girlfriend Experience and as Judge Chapek in Better Call Saul.
Mychala Faith Lee and Shaun Dixon as Kelly and Cam
Kelly and Cam are Brenda's daughter and son respectively. Kelly is the older of the two siblings and appears to embody some of Reggie's characteristics in that she is not one to take being bullied by anyone. This was quite evident in her confrontation with a group of racist jerks. However, she's a bit more level-headed than her uncle.
Cam on the other hand is perhaps the biggest victim in the film, as he's the one who winds up in the gravest amount of danger at the hands of the evil forces at play. That's a tough way to go for the youngest member of the Freeman clan.
Brenda’s daughter and son are played by Mychala Faith Lee and Shaun Dixon respectively. Both are pretty new to the industry. For Lee, her most notable credit has been playing Trini Killebrew in Truth Be Told, while for Dixon it has been starring as Jay/Leon/Isaiah in Dhar Mann.
If you haven’t already, be sure you check out End of the Road now streaming on Netflix.
