The Exit State
A group of American citizens flew to the Mexicans border to escape an authoritarian government.
Excerpt
Self preservation is important, but you can’t survive without people. And it turns out that sometimes you can’t survive with them. Gabriela Ledesma’s excellent film "The Exit State" shines light on the darkness of the human soul.
When the Enemy Looks Like Us
What happens when trusting humanity becomes a liability? It’s a terrifying thing to think about, especially being raised in a community where at the end of the day our humanity is supposed to bind us. Yes, self preservation is important, but you can’t survive without people. And it turns out that sometimes you can’t survive with them. Gabriela Ledesma’s excellent film The Exit State (2026) shines light on the darkness of the human soul.
It took me 3 hours to finish this film because I had to keep pausing to have moments of existential dread. I haven’t been so impacted by despair in a film since Changeling (2008) and Requiem for a Dream (2000). There are two things that The Exit State does that set it apart from modern horror fare. Unless there is a demon or witchcraft involved, we still look to understand the underpinnings of our villain. No one is just bad, or wrong, their bad actions are the result of childhood trauma, or targeted grooming. We can’t simply accept someone being evil, there has to be more to it than that, right? The Exit State says, not always!
The second thing is that the film does not feel beholden to a happy ending. So you never know what you’re going to get by the time the credits roll. Who will survive? How will our characters get out of the mess they’re in? Anything is possible, right? Surely there will always be a way to escape? Did I mention the despair? The remarkable thing is that even despite knowing that there may not be a big bow wrapping up a resolved ending, it’s still a ride that feels almost necessary. You have to watch it because you have to know! Know what, exactly? Well, let’s get into it.
We open on a young man filming in a forest when suddenly a shot rings out. It’s shot in found footage style and we see the young man drop to the floor. In the next shot we’re in an RV driven by Rome (Jeremy D. Howard who goes through it in this film!) as he encounters a checkpoint. He gets ushered through and we hear a news report saying that Mexico and Canada’s borders have been closed, asylum will be denied and anyone trying to cross the IBZ (Internal Border Zone) will suffer dire consequences.
Rome informs his other hidden passengers that they can come out from the back and we meet our 4 escapees. There’s Jordan (Nikki Dixon) – an ex-Baltimore cop who quit the force when their orders became more and more inhumane. Then we have the young Tori (Stakiah Lynn Washington) who can’t stay out of her phone and the snobbishly fun Andrew (Clayton Farris). Finally we have Zoey (Cindy Nguyen), a young reporter who is eager to get to Mexico, but finds that fate and romance may have other plans.
How Do You Know Who To Trust
Tori tries to subtly take photos with her phone which Rome sees, and generally announces that no phones are allowed where they are going. Tori tries to hide the phone in her fanny pack as they continue up the winding cliffside roads to their sanctuary before the escape. The palatial estate sits high in the mountains and could be easily mistaken for a day spa. We cut to Claire (Callie Schuttera) and Vince (Josh George), a sibling team who will provide safe harbor before helping the escapees the rest of the way to Mexico. We get a glimpse of how far the world has come when Vince comes home with three smallish bags of groceries and a lot of the items are off-brand or expired. Vince is unworried, but Claire wants to make a good impression.
The group arrives and we learn that Zoey and Vince have a history. We also learn that Zoey is hiding something even more forbidden than Tori’s cellphone. This is where I applaud Ledesma’s uncanny ability to show the blinders desperation can put on a person in need. When there are no real options, choice is merely a novelty. I believe that despite being a journalist, Zoey doesn’t question anything, because what could she possibly do about the answer? The inconsistencies pile up – seemingly unnoticed – until they become unavoidable. And even then, real action doesn’t happen until the issues become unexplainable.
The group are informed that they’ll be leaving individually at staggered times. Vince and Claire will escort them part of the way of the 8-mile journey and the rest they will be on their own with supplies. At first they balk, but Rome reminds them that they chose to be there. Finally faced with the illusion of choice, the group “choose” to continue. There’s something to the idea of denial and delusion being bedmates. Apart they are manageable, but together they have the power to procreate. Naturally Tori’s phone gets and keeps her in trouble and it’s as frustrating to the audience as it is to the host. So when she suddenly goes missing under the guise of hitting the trail early, it’s easy to not question her disappearance. Andrew initially boards the RV with a 4-piece luggage set when Rome tells him strictly but kindly that he’ll need to downsize. He’s clearly come from money and brought with him an entire suitcase of liquor and caviar. His excess during a time of absolute loss around him can be very triggering. Especially when he takes his riches and uses them to skip town rather than help others.
He seems to have a good heart though and he understands through his own loss how to empathize with those who have little. We don’t learn what his actions in Mexico will be, but they did point to something philanthropic. His leaving is a bit more bittersweet than Tori’s, but still, the idea of redemption does offer a bit of hope at the end. Jordan asks Vince and Claire how they have everything they have and they reveal their dad worked for the former presidential administration. They stress that he’s dead now and they’ve decided to use their fortune and connections to help escape the hellhole of the United States.
Whether it’s the ex-cop in her or the Black woman that she is, Jordan is… suspicious. She can’t quite put into words yet exactly what is wrong, but she knows it’s something. Dixon gives an amazing performance and is part of a scene that is several layers of absolutely heartbreaking. One by one our escapees ready for their journey and learn that escaping may have already begun.
Trust No One
One thing I adore about independent film is the creativity to take a little money and make a quality feature. The Exist State was made with a budget of $120,000 and filmed in just 9 days! This is astounding for a film that covers several days, stays in one location and makes it feel sprawling, and introduces us to new and solid talent. It’s worth noting that both Clayton Farris and Callie Schuttera were both in the film Weapons (2025) and Farris also appears in more horror like Maxxxine (2024), Cape Fear (2026) and Ratched (2020). Schuttera, in addition to being married to Ledesma and co-creating burgeoning production company Poison Pictures, has worked with Josh George on several projects with her partner and both are listed as writers for The Exit State.
I love the idea of ensemble casting and I hope to see more of this cast together in other projects. The familiarity with one another creates characters whose chemistry is instantly believable. Every actor had a clear idea of the backstory and stakes of who they were embodying and were able to portray that in a naturalistic way. Yes, I know that’s acting, but we’ve seen plenty of examples of cast members whose characters were supposed to know each other for years and they seem like strangers. At no time did I question Zoey and Vince’s romantic background nor did I dismiss Vince’s nearly manic commitment to it.
Another thing to love? In the words of Tori, probably, this film is gay asl! Or at the very least, it’s got queer in its bones! The director and at least 3 of the lead actors all identify as queer and that queerness can be seen and felt in the narrative. Did you notice that all of the people escaping (and the driver) were from marginalized groups? Rome, Tori and Jordan are Black, Zoey is Asian and a reporter and Andrew is queer. There’s a reason Claire and Vince are not only white, but likely blond, rich and beautiful as well. It may also be why they’re so trustworthy. It’s all about optics and it’s a great way to show the otherness felt throughout. There’s always something off that you can’t quite put your finger on, and by the time one of our escapees think to ask, it’s too late.
Not only do I recommend watching The Exit State, but I recommend then rewatching and catching the clues you missed during the first watch. This film takes you on a ride that will have you wondering what you would do in their situation. Then you’ll ask yourself what could I do? And what it would mean if the answer were “nothing”. It’s a harrowing thought exercise but one that’s worth it to take.
Score: 9/10
Trailer: