‘It Ends’ Review – Inventive Horror Hangout Movie Gets Existential

Writer/Director Alexander Ullom nestles an existential crisis within his genre-bending road trip thriller in his feature debut, It Ends, which he’s aptly dubbed his “horror hangout” movie. A foursome of recent college grads set out for one last hurrah before life takes them on diverging paths, but a short excursion turns into a nightmare when they find themselves instead trapped on a never-ending road. What begins as an intense horror movie settles into a meditative rhythm for an inventive slice-of-life metaphor.

The central foursome couldn’t be further apart in personality and aim. The blue collar type of the bunch and unspoken leader, Tyler (Mitchell Cole), skipped college altogether and brags about his HVAC work. Pals Day (Akira Jackson) and Fisher (Noah Toth) don’t seem to have any direction post-college, yet that doesn’t seem to bother the more free-spirited pair either. That often leaves them both exposed to the derision of James (Phinehas Yoon), a prickly, aloof type that seems to have outgrown his friends long before their doomed road trip. There’s an effortlessness to their camaraderie and occasional antagonism, establishing a lived-in history before the realization sets in that they’re stuck in some bizarre backwoods purgatory.

Ullom kicks things off with intensity, the first act is a frenzy of terror with rapid cuts and heightened emotion that comes with being dropped into the deep end of the unknown. But the longer the road wears on and the group becomes accustomed to the bizarre workings of this road, the shock fades into a calm sense of normality as collaborate to find answers. It’s this shifting of gears that lets Ullom’s existential metaphor take root in fascinating ways.

There are no easy answers to be found on this road, as is the case with life. Instead, Ullom looks inward, with James feeling more like an avatar in a deeply personal story of a young man coming to grips with being suddenly thrust into adulthood and whether he can do it alone. As each member of the group takes agency on how to deal with their seemingly permanent reality, James emerges as the focal point. Yoon’s performance makes for a fascinating anchor in this inscrutable world; James’ soft interior is closely guarded by a defensive plate of armor that masks his emotions.

Because it’s so ambitious in concept and lofty in its ideas, the middle section does meander in parts, unhelped by the severe slowdown in intensity. That Ullom steadfastly refuses to explain the inner workings of this mysterious dilemma, preferring to let the metaphor speak for itself, is also a move that’s likely to frustrate. Still, the filmmaker finds ways to keep the single location visually interesting, and the ultimate destination- if you can call it such- rings genuine and inventive. 

It Ends captures a universal fear, that anxiety-inducing transition into full-blown adulthood where we’re all expected to become responsible contributors to society. It’s a lot of pressure with no clear guide. As such, it runs through every emotion that comes with that journey. It’s a vibe movie that shifts through a variety of genres, ultimately settling on an authentic form of catharsis. One keenly aware that life is weird, inexplicable, often scary as hell, and impossible to get through without someone in your corner. 

It Ends made its world premiere at SXSW. Release info TBD.

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