PopHorror Let's Get Scared
End Trip is an exciting new thriller from Aaron Jay Rome that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in 2018. It stars Rome (The Starving Games 2013), Eric LeBlanc (My B.F.F. 2017), Jaren Mitchell (21 Jump Street 2012), and Ashley Lenz (Law & Order True Crime 2017). In today’s high tech age where rideshares come at the touch of a button, how much do we really know about our drivers or their passengers?
End Trip tells the story of Brandon (Aaron Jay Rome), a mild mannered, congenial driver for the rideshare company, URYDE. After a few unremarkable fares, he picks up Judd (Eric LeBlanc), who claims to be hiding from his girlfriend. He has no particular destination and asks Brandon to just drive. As they cruise around, Judd tells him about some problems with his girlfriend, and that he isn’t sure the relationship is going anywhere. Brandon shares that he is in a very happy three year relationship. Judd encourages him to tell him personal details about his life and that of his girlfriend.
In another storyline, a woman, Stef (Ashley Lenz), wakes up when her boyfriend comes home from his night job. She screams, acting alarmed and disoriented at his presence. He tries to get her to eat the breakfast he prepared for her, and she reacts violently, pushing the food away. The more normally the boyfriend acts, the more on edge Stef becomes. The tension between her and the guy is palpable. As time goes on, it becomes all too clear that she is in incredible danger and must muster all her wits to survive.
End Trip is slick and stylishly produced, and the music drives the story forward. The story line is interesting, with a wicked twist that ties the two tales together nicely. The acting is solid, with Eric LeBlanc in particular doing an exceptional job. This is absolutely a film worth seeking out.
