“No Exit” is a tense thriller that follows a young woman who, stranded in a blizzard with a small group of people, realizes she is in the presence of a kidnapper. As Darby (Havana Rose Liu) tries to determine the identity of the criminal, things get worse. With no one to turn to for help, the group is thrown into a violent situation as twist after twist reveals hidden layers within each character.
The film follows a remarkable narrative that sets up circumstances to create a very intriguing, edge of your seat situation. However, the events seen in the film are also within the realm of possibility, as crazier things happen in real life. If you’re starting to wonder if “No Exit” is based on a true story or not, we can point you in the right direction.
Is No Exit based on a true story?
No, ‘No Exit’ is not based on a true story. The mystery thriller is based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Taylor Adams and apparently follows the narrative of the fictional book very closely. The screenplay for the film, written by Andrew Barrer and Gabriel Ferrari, was directed by Damien Power. According to the director, the script remains relatively faithful to the novel because of the novel’s intriguing character-driven plot. Aspects like the story’s high stakes, hostile setting, and frequent twists and turns also make it a worthy basis for a tense film.
In an interview, Power explained that his film explores how people react when under extraordinary pressure. So more than the character going on a journey that makes them change and grow, the narrative focuses on who a person really is. The deadly circumstances in which the film’s small group of central characters find themselves force each of them to reveal their true colors, with often deadly results. Of course, the question of the characters’ hidden inner identities is also one of the film’s major themes, which revolves around Darby’s attempt to determine which of the group members is the kidnapper.
A few aspects are also suitably changed from the novel, likely to make the screen adaptation a bit more dramatic. The central character of the novel, Darby, is an art student on her way to meet her sick mother. In the film, Darby is portrayed as a recovering drug addict who initially escapes from her rehab center (to meet her sick mother), but then finds herself caught in a snowstorm and stranded at a rest area. The narratives of the novel and the film align soon after as Darby (in both cases) discovers a young girl being held hostage in a van outside the rest area.
So, “No Exit” is based on a work of fiction intended to intrigue audiences (and readers) and keep them guessing until the end. The novel, and the film based on it, follow a carefully plotted structure that builds tension and unfolds almost like a murder mystery with changing suspects. Speaking about the book adaptation, the director said he was extremely pleased with how elements of Adams’ novel were transferred to the film. Ultimately, the film excels at creating tension by presenting a situation that seems entirely plausible but is actually a carefully crafted fictional narrative.
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