End of the Line, the award-winning documentary from Emmett Adler, is preparing for its wide release in the United States on June 14. Premiering to sold-out audiences at DOC NYC, the film is a character-driven political drama that does a deep dive into the New York City subway crisis and calls for a long-overdue reckoning on infrastructure. Ahead of the documentary's VOD release, MovieWeb can exclusively premiere a clip from the film, and you can get a sneak peek by watching the video below.

End of the Line is directed by Emmett Adler and produced by Adler and Ian Mayer. Mariah Wilson co-produced while Brian Torres and Erin Stein served as associate producers. You can read the official synopsis for the movie below.

"Establishing the vital economic importance and grandeur of New York City's historic subway system, the film dives into its dire modern-day troubles picking up in the late 2010s when flooding, overcrowding, power failures, and derailments have become commonplace. After a particularly bad spate of disasters in the summer of 2017, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo proclaims a state of emergency and hires a new international wunderkind executive named Andy Byford to save the subways. Byford, an earnest Briton with an impressive resume, enters as a charismatic would-be hero.

As the political turmoil behind the subway's decline comes into sharp focus, scenes in barbershops, bodegas, and bakeries show the frustration and devastation among business owners and residents who are caught in the middle. Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic furthers this, and brings to light America's need tos hore up its infrastructure in cities across the country and the inequality struggles that are central to this debate. A heartfelt and scrupulous exploration, this film poses the question: what happens when the lifeline of a city goes flat?"

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End of the Line Explores How the Pandemic Greatly Changed Travel

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Gravitas Ventures

The filmmakers are hoping to explain this problem in a way that viewers will understand. They feel that the politicians involved have not provided clear answers but that End of the Line puts things much simpler with the goal of getting everyone on board with working toward a solution.

"The pandemic changed the way people travel drastically and maybe permanently," director Emmett Adler said. "Today, daily ridership in the NYC subways is roughly half of what it was pre-pandemic, when we began filming. Also, the Biden administration has brought historic investment to America's infrastructure. I want audiences to understand who is responsible for transit problems and who is most impacted when these systems fail. Politicians often peddle confusing information in order to avoid taking responsibility. We tried to simplify things. We want the electorate to be educated and motivated to make change."

End of the Line is set to be released on all major VOD digital and Cable platforms in the United States, courtesy of Gravitas Ventures, on June 14, 2022. The film is dedicated to the heroic New York City transit workers who lost their lives to the COVID-19 pandemic.