I’m Thinking of Ending Things — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Throughout the last couple of decades, writer/director Charlie Kaufman has been known for his deep dives into the minds of the characters he writes. If you ever watch one of his movies and aren’t thinking outside the box from the very first frame, then he’s absolutely working outside of his comfort zone. This film is completely and utterly a Kaufman production. From start to finish, the thought-provoking nature was sending my brain into a spiral, while also being completely fascinated by the metaphors at hand. This film surely won’t be for all viewers, but here’s why I loved I’m Thinking of Ending Things so much.
The film follows Jake and his new girlfriend as they travel out tom his family farm. The point of the trip is so she can meet his parents and that’s as far as the basic story itself goes, which is for the entire film, but it’s not about that at all. To really dive into the psyche of the film’s underlying messages would be to ruin the experience, so I won’t get too deep, but rather explain it in a roundabout way. That in itself will also be difficult though because I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the perfect definition of a film that’s completely up to your interpretation. I’m sure Kaufman knows exactly what’s going on 100% of the time, but certain viewers will see it differently and that’s why I think it was so brilliant to experience.
I feel as though this is a film that explores the troubled mind of Jake. His girlfriend, parents, and smaller characters throughout the film are really just there as accent pieces for audiences to dive into this character. That’s about as far as I’ll go with that, but I did feel like I was watching inner love, pain, grief, and happiness bursting out of the screen all at once. Some viewers will take this film very literally on its surface, seeing it simply as a film where a woman is meeting a man’s parents for the first time, but again, I don’t think you’re letting the film immerse you in the story if that’s how you see it. There is so much more to this story under the surface.
On top of the fantastic form of storytelling, this is a film that blew me away in two other aspects specifically. The editing by Robert Frazen hooked me from the very first scene, which goes on for a very long period of time. With the added masterful work of Lukasz Zal being the camera, the seamless way that sequences progress had me in awe. Lukasz Zal has been someone I’ve kept an eye on after being impressed with his work on both Cold War and Ida though, so I really shouldn’t have been as surprised as I was, but he really is just that talented as a Cinematographer. The technical aspects of this film, although clearly budgeted, honestly took my breath away at times.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things is only Charlie Kaufman’s third film in terms of directing features and I really hope he dives into many more stories like this. Being more of a writer than anything else throughout the years like Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, nobody quite tells a story like him and I’m so happy that he’s helming these projects as well. From the fantastic central performances by both Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley, to the wonderful look and tone of the film, there’s wasn’t anything I could find that I wanted to complain about. A huge complaint from some people will be that they didn’t understand a lot of the movie, but if you really sit back and think about each moment, it becomes much clearer. I found this movie to be incredibly impactful and easily one of my favorite films of 2020. Now streaming on Netflix, if you’re looking for something thought-provoking and heavy to sink your teeth into, this may just be the one, but be wary of how artistic certain moments will be.
Rating: 5/5
Check out the trailer below:
