I'm Thinking of Ending Things Review

September 15, 2020 at 7:09pm
By Jason Stettner

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a Netflix Original film that follows a young woman played by Jessie Buckley as she travels to meet her new boyfriend’s parents. This takes place on a secluded farm where time is seemingly irrelevant and the placement of events make little to no sense. That sounds bad, but that’s what’s somewhat clever about this experience. It’s less about the main character, and more about what’s really happening here.

The puzzle of that was interesting to see in regards to how it was revealed. At the same time halfway through this becomes a real drag and feels as though it’ll never end. It’s insanely heavy on symbolism, and a deeper meaning that you might be able to successfully guess then just have to deal with as it continues to spiral randomly outwards. A lot of this is definitely also heavy on the boyfriend, Jake (Jesse Plemons). A great performance, and one that is very heavy in regards to the greater themes being explored here.

It’s just really long, with a great first half and a latter part that feels as though it’ll never end. It’s basically a solid hour of just driving in the snow talking in different voices. I can see that being confusing for many that aren’t looking for something deeper. It sort of makes sense once you get through it, but I can see many looking at this by the ending and really having no idea what actually happened throughout it.

I really liked how this was shot, it’s in an aspect ratio that many might not be used to. Visually it’s quite charming, and very distinct with the aesthetic style. It’s got a great sense of atmosphere, feeling warm when it needs to and absolutely chilly when necessary.

It’s beautifully presented, with such a unique look to each scene or set. There were many hidden little things to look out for, and if you’re watching carefully the plot will reveal itself earlier than you’d expect. I thought the acting was very well done here.

I’ve given praise to the two leads, but I also want to mention the excellent parents. The mother being Toni Collette and the father being David Thewlis. You see variations of age, and how they present themselves. Keep in mind that if you’re wondering why I’m not naming characters, there’s a reason for that.

The Conclusion

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is a very stylized film with heavy themes and a story that will likely confuse most that attempt to watch it. I loved the art focused opening, but grew wary of the experience as it progressed. At the half way point I became very bored of it. I do appreciate what it was trying to show, but having figured out the just of where things were headed it was a slog to get there.

The performances were generally great from the actors involved, but there’s just nothing beyond the connections there. It’s just a black backdrop and folks talking for basically a solid hour. It’s long, tedious to get through and I’m not sure many will make it to that end. It’s a shame as the first half is very intriguing, and I think the last few minutes are too with how bizarre that it gets.

It’s also hard to talk about from a review perspective as I don’t want to ruin what’s going on within it. So it’s hard to dive into specifics. The key is to get that this gets hard to sit through as it progresses despite being very interesting at the start. It’s beautifully shot with a unique style that truly stands out. Each performance was great, and it gets insanely weird in its final moments.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things Review at Home with Streamed Viewing
Content Access was Provided by Netflix

Rating Overall: 6.8