No Exit, based on Taylor Adams' novel of the same name, is an outstanding survival thriller that doesn't go overboard with its flashiness. A tight screenplay and a fantastic lead performance by Havana Rose Liu help build this fascinating thriller as it subverts expectations and retains viewers' interest until the very end, with the action occurring in one place.

Darby (Liu) is a college student who is through drug addiction treatment. Darby is clearly unhappy with the situation and is eager to go, but then she receives a shocking phone call: her mother is in the hospital. Darby flees the facility in a desperate attempt to reach her mother in time, but a blizzard compels her to seek shelter in a mountain rest stop. Darby walks in thinking her main issues are her family strife and personal demons. She has no idea that in order to get out of this refuge, she will have to battle for her life.

Havana Rose Liu makes an outstanding breakthrough as a leading lady in her feature film debut. No Exit is carried by Liu's expressive performance, which requires few words and relies heavily on her eyes to convey a range of emotions and thoughts. With only a few minutes to establish who Darby is, Liu's portrayal is multi-layered, giving the character a depth that will resonate with the audience. Viewers are cheering for her to survive not just because she is the protagonist, but also because we want her to succeed. Danny Ramirez, David Rysdahl, Dennis Haysbert, and Dale Dickey join Liu in this intense battle for survival, each adding a little something to the suspense.

Because the film is limited to a single location, it requires fascinating individuals to be invested in in order to find the evil guys. No Exit defies expectations in terms of the ensemble for the most part, although it could have utilised an extra member or two to really throw the viewer off. Liu's emotive performance is largely responsible for the enjoyment. The film's pitch-perfect score by Marco Beltrami and Miles Hakins also elevates it, never letting up on the tension. The screenplay adaptation of Adams' book by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, on the other hand, deserves a lot of credit. It's a lean, compact script that shaves off a lot of the unnecessary weight that usually ruins book-to-film adaptations.

When the dots start to connect in the film's third act, the screenwriters loosen their grip on the tale. There are hints as to what is going on, but a flashback brings the whole picture together. The revelatory sequence in No Exit is unnecessary because it occurs during a vital part of the last act. The action comes to a halt as questions regarding the how and why of it all are answered. The activity in the mountain rest stop, on the other hand, is significantly more compelling and speaks for itself.
Overall, No Exit is a satisfying thriller with a standout performance by Liu in the starring role.