‘It Ends’ Review: A Road Trip Takes a Dark Turn in a Well-Crafted if Repetitive Indie Thriller

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A journey down memory lane with old schoolmates transforms into an agonizing ride through turmoil – perhaps symbolizing the profound anxiety of post-university existence – in Alexander Ullom’s nerve-wracking directorial debut, titled “It Ends“.

In a single setting with just one car and four characters, I found this movie expertly squeezes every drop of drama from an implausible situation that kept me on edge throughout. However, once the fuel tank was empty, the plot didn’t have much to offer beyond the initial thrill.

Rather than being a gruesome suspense thriller, “It Ends” leans more towards a conceptually chilling narrative. It shares similarities with other indie horror films such as David Robert Mitchell’s “It Follows” and Trey Edward Shults’ “It Comes at Night “, where an enigmatic occurrence turns our deepest anxieties into lethal abstract perils. The danger in this film is so bizarre that it’s challenging to comprehend, making Ullom’s skillful handling of such a complex premise all the more impressive.

The message is straightforward: Four friends in their twenties – James (Phinemas Yoon), Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth) and Tyler (Mitchell Cole) – embark on a late-night dinner trip, traveling along a wooded road at night. At some point, they unintentionally bypass their turn, end up at a dead-end location not marked on the GPS. The situation becomes bizarre when they realize they are no longer on a typical road but seem to be on a two-lane highway that resembles either the path to hell or a scenic route through purgatory. Whenever they try to halt, a swarm of chaotic individuals – possibly zombies or overzealous movie extras – burst out from the woods, compelling them to continue driving, seemingly endlessly.

For a leisurely drive, it turns out to be an unexpected rollercoaster ride with some peculiar twists and turns, but Ullom manages to present these oddities thoughtfully, maintaining a sense of believability. After they become aware that there’s no simple way out of their predicament (the Final Destination series echoes this moment), the quartet spends the remainder of the movie grappling with the best or worst options in their nightmarish predicament.

Here’s where “It Ends” seems to trip or encounter obstacles, more like potholes on the road. Despite strong performances, the characters lack the depth needed to make us want to spend extended periods with them. It isn’t that they don’t feel authentic – Ullom skillfully handles Generation Z dialogue – but they fail to sustain the story after the initial twist.

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Among the four characters, Tyler, a hometown lad who opted out of college like his peers and works as an HVAC specialist, stands out with an intriguing journey. He’s had a glimpse into adult reality earlier than the rest and seems to have a clearer understanding of the challenges they all may encounter, as if he could foresee their predicament. On the other hand, James, who emerges as something of a protagonist in the narrative, is quite different: He is well-educated and harbors ambitious aspirations for the future, which makes him more resilient to endure the hardships compared to his counterparts.

Since Ullom never clarifies the origin of this madness, we’re left to follow along with his grand metaphors – such as the arduous, frightening journey towards the future – until the very end. However, the movie ultimately runs out of momentum because it persists without providing more explanation, even when it manages to maintain tension due to Ullom’s skillful direction and tempo.

Filmmakers often find shooting driving scenes challenging, as they necessitate equipment such as car mounts, gimbals, and additional gear. However, Ullom demonstrates exceptional skill in this area, using a compact station wagon and what appears to be the same road repeated numerous times, yet managing to make his film visually innovative from start to finish.

Filmmakers Evan Draper and Jazleana Jones strive for realistic lighting effects, switching between dim nighttime sequences and bright daylight scenes. This pattern recurs throughout the film, creating an image of either a perpetual hell or perhaps depicting the monotony of daily life once you enter adulthood, stuck in a repetitive routine until your very end.

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2025-03-08 04:54