The independent horror-thriller It Ends arrives in select theaters on August 21, with a wider release following on August 28. The film, written and directed by newcomer Alexander Ullom, uses the familiar trope of a road trip gone wrong to explore themes of existential dread and the anxieties of entering adulthood.
The premise follows four friends on a car trip whose journey devolves into a surreal nightmare when they discover the road they are on has no exit. As they realize they are trapped in a loop, they must keep driving to evade menacing figures that emerge from the surrounding woods. This situation echoes the uncertainty of life after graduation, particularly for the film's Gen Z protagonists.
Despite the claustrophobic setting, It Ends leverages its confined space effectively. The early portion of the film relies heavily on close-ups and two-shots of the cast inside the car, as their playful banter, featuring Phinehas Yoon as James, Akira Jackson as Day, Noah Toth as Fisher, and Mitchell Cole as Tyler, helps to establish their dynamic. As the situation grows more dire, director Ullom’s camera remains restrained, building suspense within the car and the immediate road environment. The tension escalates when characters venture out to investigate, with the flashing hazard lights of the car casting an intermittent red glow that hints at unseen threats in the woods.
This contained environment, reminiscent of classic Twilight Zone episodes or existentialist plays, allows the script to pose questions that mirror the audience's own. The nature of the figures pursuing them—are they ghosts, shades, or something else entirely?—leads the characters to ponder their own mortality and whether they are being punished for past actions. James, the most analytical of the group, frequently voices these theories, though concrete answers remain elusive.
Ullom, partly inspired by Richard Linklater's Slacker, injects a sense of 'hangout' quality into the film, a significant part of its appeal. The characters' discussions range from absurd hypotheticals, like debating the outcome of a fight between a man with a gun and a man with 50 hawks, to the mundane realities of prolonged confinement. Ullom's technical skill is also notable, having shot much of the film on a mini Volume LED stage at Florida State University.
While not explicitly stated, the film’s underlying message resonates with the pressures of modern life and the relentless push for progress. The characters' individual struggles—Tyler's dissatisfaction with his working life, James's apparent unhappiness despite having a job, Day's return home, and Fisher's unclear future—all contribute to the sense of unease. The film suggests that the constant drive to achieve and succeed, often at the expense of others, mirrors the relentless pursuit of the figures in the woods, presenting a chilling commentary on the contemporary struggle to find one's way in the world.