The artful however in the end disappointing “It Ends,” which simply premiered at SXSW, takes a well-known expertise and throws right into a cleverly existential horror premise: What should you had been driving on a abandoned, tree-lined highway in the course of the night time — an already eerie state of affairs that loads of filmmakers have used to freak folks out — however the highway simply by no means ended? What should you simply stored going and going for 1000’s of miles?
There are moments all through Alexander Ullom’s debut function which are genuinely unnerving, as 4 20-somethings attempt to determine simply what the hell is occurring from the confines of their white Jeep. Ullom makes use of the automotive’s options to his benefit, mining the uncomfortable glow of flashing hazard lights and the incessant beeping of an open door, for stress.
However whereas the film is commonly cleverly spooky, it falls quick find which means in its enjoyable gimmick of a setup. By the point “It Ends,” nicely, ends, you find yourself questioning: So, that’s it? What as soon as felt fruitful simply turns into arrange for a gotcha punchline that appears to snicker within the face of anybody truly invested within the story.
For some time although, “It Ends” is a enjoyable experience. It opens from what is basically the attitude of the car the place almost all of the motion will happen, establishing the SUV as an nearly sentient determine. 4 friends climb into it. There’s the motive force (Mitchell Cole), a taciturn dude with a thick Southern accent who spent a while within the army. He’s chauffeuring James (Phinehas Yoon), a cynic about to begin a boring job, Day (Akira Jackson), a graphic design main unsure about her future, and the goofy Fisher (Noah Toth). They’re all previous associates on the cusp of coming into the true world. Publish-grad malaise is a key theme right here, as their journey quickly involves symbolize the what am I doing with my life fears of many in that age vary.
Ullom, I believe, is purposely coy about simply the place they’re all going, as a result of the vacation spot finally ends up probably not being the purpose. Day makes use of her telephone to navigate from the backseat when she tells Tyler to take a flip that can ultimately result in a freeway. However the freeway by no means comes, the map stays mounted on the 2 lane stretch, and slowly all of them notice one thing may be very incorrect. Their conversations flip from the type of surface-level banter you could have with highschool buddies into real terror.
These early moments of confusion are the place Ullom’s filmmaking is at its flashiest and most fun. We’re with James as he friends out into the tree lined woods, seeing one thing transfer within the flashes of crimson mild coming from the briefly stopped automotive. The worry is palpable as you attempt to discern simply what sort of film these 4 friends are in: Is it a zombie flick? Or one thing else?
However the arrange for “It Ends” additionally turns into its Achilles’ Heel. The group rapidly comes to know that to be able to keep alive they need to hold their automotive on and hold driving. Apparent questions that state of affairs elicits are defined away with a proverbial wave of the hand: Staying on the highway means they by no means get hungry or drained. (In addition they by no means appear to have to go to the lavatory, which isn’t addressed, however one thing I thought of.) They’ll take transient breaks that they time on their telephones, which appear to by no means lose energy though they get web service.
The principles of the journey are each easy however generally imply that you simply, as a viewer, are looking for the holes no matter supernatural curse has descended upon the protagonists. (Can’t their telephones play music? Or do school youngsters not obtain music to their telephones anymore?)
It additionally leads to a monotony that Ullom can’t fairly overcome. Sure, the repetitive nature of this journey is kind of the purpose on this Gen Z “No Exit,” however ultimately it begins to weigh the plot down and also you lengthy for some kind of revelation. Sartre, this isn’t.
The characters merely aren’t developed sufficient to make their gradual unraveling all that charming. Ullom does the work of creating their banter, however not their deeper relationships. Regardless of some moments of confession we by no means actually get an ideal sense of who these folks had been earlier than their ordeal or what they imply to one another. Yoon will get essentially the most to do as James turns into increasingly more obsessive about figuring all of it out whereas his companions have resigned themselves to their destiny, and but he stays completely outlined by his circumstances in a method that makes him extra consultant than human.
As “It Ends” attracts to its conclusion it begins to naggingly really feel like an experiment that bleeds into slightly little bit of a “fuck you” to its viewers. There’s an intriguing nihilistic streak to the entire affair, however what comes earlier than isn’t humorous or insightful sufficient to warrant what’s in the end served up. It’s simply kind of a joke on you for caring. And perhaps that’s what the youth are al about.
Grade: B-
“It Ends” premiered at SXSW 2025. It’s presently searching for U.S. distribution.
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