The United Nations has condemned the actions of the United States as a violent, fascist takeover grips the nation. Supply chains are crumbling and only wealthy, white Americans retain power as minority groups flee for their lives. No, I’m not talking about the current state of the country, but rather the setting for co-writer and director Gabriela Ledesma’s timely new film The Exit State. It feels less like a far-fetched, apocalyptic thriller than a reflection of a possible, future reality. Set in an Internal Border Zone (IBZ)—a disputed, stateless swath of land along the southern border used by Americans to flee the authoritarian regime—the film follows a group of asylum seekers caught up in a blood-splattered quest for freedom from a tyrannical government and brutal killers.
Claire (Callie Schuterra) and Vince (Josh George) host a group of asylum seekers at their home in the IBZ as they head toward the border crossing into Mexico. They are wealthy children of a deceased diplomat who worked for America’s authoritarian regime, seemingly reformed to support the cause of the downtrodden. It soon becomes clear that their intentions aren’t as pure as they seem, and things start to spiral out of control. Claire and Vince begin to ruthlessly kill their guests in service of the state, having identified each visitor as a target. When a couple of the survivors catch on, they desperately fight for their escape.
A frightened woman hides beside a bed in the dark in The Exit State.
“…the film follows a group of asylum seekers caught up in a blood-splattered quest for freedom from a tyrannical government and brutal killers.”
It’s a film that keeps you on your toes from the very beginning. Ledesma cleverly blends genre and subverts expectations at every turn. One minute, you’re laughing at a character treating his desperate getaway like a five-star vacation, while the next, you’re wincing as a character gets their face mercilessly beaten in by a rock. It’s disorienting by design. The film’s tone flings you back and forth without any regard for your safety. Buckle up. But despite the cynical message at the core of the film, it’s wickedly entertaining. You can tell the entire production team had a blast with its gratuitous blood and practical effects. Allie Shehorn leads the makeup SFX team with great impact, the perfect follow-up to her brilliant work in Obsession earlier this year. The gore is excessive, but in a way that still feels grounded in the shifting tone of the story.
But special effects are useless if the actors aren’t just as compelling in their deaths. Luckily, this cast is packed with great performances from top to bottom. Schuterra and George are disarming before transitioning into cold-blooded monsters. They are the perfect embodiment of fascism, completely stripping their guests of their humanity, murdering them as if they’re swatting flies away with no impact on their conscience. Each victim brings their own unique flair, but Jeremy D. Howard’s evolution throughout the film is the most fun to watch. He starts as the unknowing driver, transporting the victims into the IBZ. But once he learns the reality of his situation, Howard wonderfully grapples with his scruples before his attempt to play hero.
The Exit State underscores the ways in which tyranny exists just beyond our field of vision, creeping up like an unsuspecting killer. No matter how hard one tries to create a sense of comfort or normalcy amid the chaos, there’s no way to evade the threat. Hidden behind the ample squirts of blood, Ledesma is warning viewers to watch our backs, because you’re never quite sure what might be lurking in plain sight.
"…the film’s tone flings you back and forth without any regard for your safety..."
