Dead End (2003)

As the countdown to Santa’s arrival nears, I was searching for something to watch. That is when I stumbled upon, the 2003 semi-holiday horror flick Dead End.

Plot/ For the past 20 years, Frank Harrington has grudgingly driven his family to celebrate Christmas with his mother-in-law. This year, he takes a shortcut. It's the biggest mistake of his life: The nightmare begins. A mysterious woman in white wanders through the forest, leaving death in her wake. A terrifying black car - its driver invisible - carries the victims into the heart of the night. Every road sign points to a destination they never reach. The survivors succumb to panic, to madness; deeply buried secrets burst to the surface, and Christmas turns into a living hell.

I was extremely surprised by this flick. It was really an excellent example of what can be done with a low budget. The directors proved that with a minimalist concept of great story, solid small cast and a few locations, a great movie can be created. This movie excels by mixing a stripped down instrumental soundtrack with a claustrophobic aura that creates a paranoid atmosphere that drives everything. Throw in a script that has just enough comedic and sarcastic moments, and you have a winner. This is definitely a MUST see and a holiday horror that often gets overlooked