Rating: ★★★★

Gabriela Ledesma’s The Exit State is set in a dystopian version of the United States. Things have gotten so bad that people are desperate to relocate, forming the storyline for this upcoming horror-thriller movie. Across its 90 minute run time, we follow a group of people who are travelling from the US to Mexico. It’s a dangerous journey, especially considering one of the escapees is carrying sensitive footage of US officials.

The movie is a slow burn and benefits from its excellent cast. Weapons’ star Clayton Farris delivered a stand out performance for me, but I did enjoy all the performances and how the group are very different from each other which naturally causes some tensions, even before the chaos of the second act.

Co-writers Callie Schuttera and Josh George lead the cast as siblings Claire and Vince, who run a house that the escapees believe to be a safe house in a neutral political territory. Of course, things turn out to be very different, and after 30 minutes that’s when the horror elements really start to ramp up. It all felt believable, you would seek shelter anywhere even if you were essentially walking into a stranger’s home. If I’d found myself in that situation, I would’ve likely done the same thing.

There are house rules implemented by Claire and Vince, and at face value they aren’t so bad. Everyone’s mobile phone must be turned off which doesn’t really raise any red flags given the situation they’ve found themselves in, on the run and laying low. If your phone is off then no one can track you, and that makes perfect sense to me.

Things take a dark turn and you can expect plenty of tension, thrills and shocking moments in the second half of the movie. Trust is hard to come by in any dystopian universe, and the characters here quickly start to question who actually can be trusted. Are the hosts bad people, or are the fellow escapees? Paranoia sets in and it’s difficult to think rationally. The special effects team who worked on Curry Barker’s Obsession bring some scenes to life here, so you can expect some excellent scenes with that in mind.

I renjoyed The Exit State because it blends a lot of different elements together. There’s political satire, humour, horror and thrills. The result is a really well made movie. It makes you think and question things, and like any good political satire, you start to consider the clear real-world inspirations too. Even though there’s a lot of exaggerated stuff going on here for comedic effect, it still feels like it could all be plausible which I found disturbing in the best way.

Ledesma has crafted something special here, and considering this was shot over just nine days with a small budget, there’s a lot to celebrate. It’s proof that impactful stories don’t need a huge budget and months of shooting, you can make your voice heard on a much smaller level. The Exit State is well shot and edited, and it doesn’t feel like anything was rushed when crafting this movie. It’s been made with care and you can tell everyone involved is very passionate about the project.

I was grateful for the opportunity to see this movie and I am keen to see what Ledesma does next, as she is a real talent in my opinion. Take a look at the trailer below for a deeper look at The Exit State.

The Exit State is available to rent or buy now.