It Ends is knockout addition to liminal horror
Released in theaters on Friday Aug. 2, It Ends follows four young adults – James (Phinehas Yoon), Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth), and Tyler (Mitchell Cole) – as they drive down an infinite stretch of road in search of an escape that likely doesn’t exist. Whenever one of the characters exits the car, they are beset upon by entities residing in the surrounding woods. The focal point of the film’s horror, though, stems primarily from the ever-worsening interpersonal tension between characters as the crushing reality of their predicament bears down on them.
Director Alexander Ullom, another in a recent string of Gen Z filmmakers, makes the absolute most of a simple premise. Given said simplicity, the film’s 90 minute run time could have easily spelled trouble for its through lines; but Ullom smartly chooses not to focus on the spectacle of the supernatural and instead uses it as a catalyst for psychological breakdown, which is where the bulk of the film’s horror stems from. Despite the cast’s constant motion, the film’s setting shares more in common with the static pressure cooker environment of The Breakfast Club in the sense of characters forced to share each other’s company for a prolonged period of time.
Between stretches of existential despair, Ullom dispatches brief interjections of comedy to reel back its darkness and keep the tension fresh. While these stints of banter and dry humor didn’t always land for me, they still managed to accomplish the goal of refreshing the film’s tone. It particularly shines in the film’s first act, working to establish character relationships and dynamics. This, of course, couldn’t have been pulled off if not for the surprisingly believable performances of Yoon, Jackson, Toth, and Cole. Likewise the film as a whole wouldn’t hit the raw emotional notes it does if not for the metaphor at its thematic core.
It Ends is a zoomer horror film. Though the existential dread of its premise is universal, its not-so-subtle metaphor poses a devastating and deeply resonant flavor of horror for those of my generation. As the youth inch into their twenties, they find themselves stuck in a liminal space between now and adulthood in which they try in vain to kickstart their lives. Factors like skyrocketing costs of living, a brutal housing crisis, and an even worse job market have made the transition into adulthood an agonizing crawl that seemingly goes on without end. It’s this subtext that transforms It Ends from a standard thriller into one of the most timely horror films in recent memory. Every tired whisper or scream of anguish the characters voice over their external predicament becomes an outpour of frustration over the very real challenges zoomers face. It’s for that reason, more than any other, that Ullom has cemented himself alongside names like Kane Parsons and Curry Barker as one of the most promising new filmmakers of the decade.
