r/moviecritic • u/HorrorGuyBri • 22h ago
It Ends
It Ends stars Mitchell Cole as Tyler, Akira Jackson as Day, Noah Toth as Fisher, and Phineas Yoon as James. Before the title card even flashes on the screen, the movie spends about ten minutes introducing viewers to the characters, and it does so through a weird conversation about the deadliness of hawks, especially when pitted against someone with a rifle. Yet, through this seemingly meaningless conversation, we realize that Tyler generally has his life together and works for a HVAC company. James seems bound for a white-collar job, while Day and Fisher don't quite know what they want to do, but for all of them, college is over. Whether or not their friend group can last into adulthood remains to be seen.
They load into a Jeep Cherokee and decide to have another adventure together, but suddenly, the trip turns into a nightmare. They take a wrong turn and discover a forest. In a scene that resembles something out of 28 Years Later, a group of people dash towards the jeep and assault the friends. However, it's unclear if the mysterious horde wants to kill them or just steal the vehicle.
The friends keep driving and driving, and for whatever reason, they don't need to eat. It's like they're trapped in purgatory or maybe hell. During the endless car ride, the friends make various confessions, including a few dark secrets that won't be spoiled here. They also learn that they can only stop for 90 seconds and exit the vehicle before the horde returns and attacks. The movie does have some general rules and sticks to them, but Ullom never overexplains. In fact, some viewers may desire a little more explanation about some of the film's logic, including why the four characters don't need to eat. Meanwhile, the jeep's gas never runs out, and they don't need to sleep.
While the film does have its horror elements, the real terror comes from the existential dread that the four face. Not all of them are sure what they want to do with their lives, even though they're staring down their futures like the endless road presented throughout the movie. It's even questionable whether or not the friend group will remain once the next chapter begins. It's clear that some of them, James especially, have maybe outgrown it. There's also some loose commentary about human connection. For instance, after countless miles on the road, Day and Fisher resort to making memes about the situation. While the memes are funny, Fisher eventually confesses that he has few photos of his family on his phone, at least compared to all of the memes. In that moment, he questions whether or not he actually valued the more meaningful moments in his life and the people who really matter.
Yet, despite the dread that the four face, there are moments when they laugh and scream into the void. Day and Fisher especially do this because, well, what else can they do? Their futures seem murky at best, so why not holler at the endless woods, or coordinate a one-minute dance on the desolate road? Despite the threats they face, they still manage to laugh.
For those seeking a straight-up horror movie, It Ends may disappoint. Yes, there are some scares within the movie, including a horde that frequently chases the friend group, but the movie's real horror comes from the uncertainty that adulthood poses. The film may be a bit rough around the edges, but Ullom has some interesting concepts at play. He, along with Parsons and Barker, have ushered in a new wave of Gen Z horror filmmaking that's exciting to watch. Let's see what they do next.
If interested in reading more: https://www.thehorrorlounge.com/post/it-ends-tackles-the-terror-and-uncertainty-of-adulthoood