Liminal road trip horror It Ends asks pressing questions like "Are we there yet?"
It Ends, the road trip that ironically never does, runs out of gas fast as it chugs through its half-baked Twilight Zone premise.
Alex Ullom's feature film debut, "It Ends," begins by examining the fate of individuals who find themselves stuck on a road that appears endless. The characters, enduring logistical challenges like gas refills and food stops, embark on a mental adventure, assessing how they adapt or deteriorate in this surreal situation. While the premise is chilling, the film quickly raises a more immediate question: "Are we there yet?"
The story follows a group of lifelong friends—Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth), and James (Phinehas Yoon)—who reunite with their former classmate, Tyler (Mitchell Cole). As they catch up, Tyler suspects they may have taken a wrong turn. They backtrack, only to discover the road has altered. Emerging from the car, they encounter an endless procession of people racing towards their vehicle, even injuring Fisher in the process.
Though they escape, the road persists without end, plunging them into a liminal realm with no apparent exit. The filmmakers, including writer-director Ullom and cinematographers Jazleana Jones and Evan Draper, creatively utilize the film's constraints, confining the action to a Jeep Cherokee. Surrounded by dark, menacing trees through windows, the group's journey is interrupted only by brief stops.
The car transforms into their temporary sanctuary, adorned with personal mementos and a sense of camaraderie. However, the novelty quickly wears thin, and the characters grapple with how to spend their eternal time in this bizarre existence. Ullom's exploration of the friends' interactions and coping mechanisms serves as the film's primary focus.
By removing external variables, the narrative delves into how these individuals might react to the situation, addressing their personal struggles with grief, resentment, and existential questions. While the origin of the mysterious swarms remains unexplained, the characters theorize that they share a similar fate. Attempting to uncover the truth, they devise a strategy to explore the endless woods in short bursts, questioning whether they have entered a purgatory or a curse, possibly even confronting their own mortality.
The film's exploration of existential themes and the characters' evolving mental states create a gripping atmosphere, yet the repetitive nature of their situation begins to drain the suspense after the initial act. As the survivors settle into their new reality, the dynamics shift from survival to bickering, mirroring the hypothetical questions posed at the film's outset.
Despite its limited scope, "It Ends" offers a thought-provoking examination of human behavior under extreme circumstances, providing a unique blend of horror and character study.
Written by urgent.news from The A.V. Club's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
