Movie Review: Gen Z gets a moody, existential horror in ‘It Ends’
- The AP review describes “It Ends” as a moody, existential horror film centered on four friends trapped on an endless road in a Jeep.
- The film was written and directed by Alexander Ullom, who graduated from college during the pandemic and has said he struggled with dissociative depression.
- The story follows James, Tyler, Fisher, and Day, who are all dealing with different forms of postcollege uncertainty.
- The movie uses a minimalist setup that includes zombie-like attackers in the woods who strike when the group stops for more than 90 seconds.
- The reviewer says the film has a hypnotic feel and shows promise in its atmosphere and casting of largely unknown actors.
- Neon was set to release the film in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.
AP’s review says “It Ends” turns a familiar postcollege malaise into a horror premise. The film follows four friends who find themselves stuck on an endless road, with the situation becoming both ominous and repetitive as they try to understand what is happening to them.
The group is made up of James, Tyler, Fisher, and Day, who are presented as different versions of early-adulthood uncertainty. James is the most analytical and fatalistic, Day is job hunting, Tyler has taken a different path through military service and HVAC work, and Fisher fills the car with casual conversation and speculation.
The review also notes that the film comes from writer-director Alexander Ullom, whose own pandemic-era college graduation and experience with dissociative depression appear to inform the material. The film’s sparse approach includes zombie-like figures in the woods that attack when the group stops for too long.
The critic concludes that the movie’s concept wears thin over time but still has an eerie pull, helped by its atmosphere and its cast of largely unknown performers. Neon was scheduled to release the film in New York and Los Angeles on Friday.
影评：Z世代在《It Ends》中迎来一部忧郁、存在主义式的恐怖片
美联社影评认为《It Ends》把常见的毕业后迷茫感转化成了恐怖片设定。影片讲述四个朋友发现自己被困在一条似乎永无止境的公路上，他们一边试图弄清发生了什么，一边面对不断加深的不安与重复感。
影片中的四人分别是 James、Tyler、Fisher 和 Day，人物各自代表了初入成年阶段的不同不确定性。James 最理性也最悲观，Day 正在找工作，Tyler 走了不同道路，已经经历过服役和暖通空调工作，而 Fisher 则不断在车里闲聊、发散话题。
影评还提到，这部电影出自编剧兼导演 Alexander Ullom 之手；他大学毕业于疫情期间，自己也谈到过解离性抑郁经历，这些背景似乎影响了影片内容。影片的极简设定还包括树林中的类似僵尸的袭击者，角色一旦停下太久就会遭到攻击。
评论最后指出，影片的概念看久了会显得有些单薄，但它仍有一种阴冷的吸引力，氛围营造和大多不知名演员的选用也为其加分。Neon 原定于周五在纽约和洛杉矶发行这部电影。