It Ends is a sometimes funny, sometimes thought provoking, but ultimately unfinished thriller which feels more like a deliberate prank.
Writer and Director: Alexander Ullom
Genres: Comedy, Horror, Thriller
Run Time: 87′
SXSW World Premiere: March 7, 2025
U.S. Release Date: TBA
U.K. Release Date: TBA
It Ends is a difficult film to review because it benefits from audiences going in knowing as little as possible. The scenario and storyline are best experienced blind with the characters, when neither they nor the viewer know how the story will end. This is because writer-director Alexander Ullom understands the ideas of suspense and also of the importance of strong characters, making his debut feature a unique one at South by Southwest.
Four recent college grads named James (Phinehas Yoon, of One True Loves), Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth), and Tyler (Mitchell Cole) all go on one last road trip together before moving on. While driving on the road, they find it sprawls on forever, with seemingly no end in sight. They are occasionally attacked by stragglers and have to find a routine to plan their rest stops, but after a few thousand miles it all feels the same. Still, they keep on driving, only in the belief something better will come eventually.
The dialogue is able to carry the story. With only four named characters confined to a single location, we have to care about them somehow. Through their conversations about nothing and occasional philosophical tangents, they can hold interest on their own and get development with little backstory to introduce them. The presentation of these four characters and their relationships is quite theatrical, with many exaggerated lines and gestures. In many ways, these feel like people you want to be stranded with, and the four performances carry the film.
Where It Ends falls a bit short is in following up on its promised existential horror after a long, slow burn. Rather than genuine terror or suspense, most of what it presents is ennui. While it’s not repetitive per se, at some point you just feel a sense of “just get on with it” and the same old road over and over becomes an emotionally draining set piece. This is indeed a test of patience, but in many ways the story does not deliver on these messages. Ullom is good at building and maintaining suspense, but when suspense is built, it has to come with a payoff. The payoff in this movie is not worth the ride.
It Ends is worth watching once, blind if you can, but once you know the joke there is not much there. The acting is fine, the directing is fine, but much of it seems like it could be much more than the sum of its parts. The parts that go for comedy are funny enough, and the suspense is enough to keep interest, but it lacks the element of surprise which comes with the suspense. This is a valiant first effort, but it needed some fine tuning to become a true horror classic.
It Ends (2025): Movie Plot & Recap
Synopsis:
Four friends go on a late night drive that gives them more than they bargained for, with a seemingly short drive becoming an endless slog.
Pros:
- Combines comedy with horror
- Genuine suspense; have no idea where it will go
- Sincere and meaningful character interactions
Cons:
- A bit slow in pace, takes a while to get started
- Does not quite follow up on the intricacies of its premise
- Contains a scene involving strobe lights
It Ends had its World Premiere at SXSW on March 7, 2025 and will be screened again on March 11-14. Read our SXSW reviews and our list of films to watch at SXSW 2025!
