Slight but reasonably entertaining, 'Dead End' follows the Harrington family on their way to relatives for Christmas Eve. On a whim, the patriarch of the family, Frank (Ray Wise, the uncrowned king of the B movie) decides to take a previously uncharted route, even if his wife (Shaye) isn't shy about expressing her distrust of anything that deviates from the norm. Soon it becomes clear that the road the family are on is haunted by a spectral woman who seems to be carrying an infant. Bad things soon start to happen.
A low budget horror that trades off a familiar formula, 'Dead End' is still not without its charms. The writer + directors may be short of funds and their ideas may be hocked off countless other horror flicks, but 'Dead End' moves briskly, and only really is let down in a trite and unnecessarily foolish finale that you should be able to see coming a mile off. A little more originality and imagination when it comes to the dialogue would have gone a long way, but 'Dead End' is better than expected. Which is almost a compliment.
