-Written by Kyle Bain.
Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) has just lost her father, she’s preparing to open her own flower shop, and she’s met a man that is ready to give up everything to pursue her. She grew up in a home where she watched abuse occur often, and that has shaped her, allowing her to grow into the strong, independent woman that she is today. It Ends With Us sees Lily traversing a series of new things with new friends and family–and the ghosts of her past are ready to resurface.
I did not expect to like this film. It falls under the umbrella of film genres that don’t typically appeal to me–however, I had heard decent things and I find Lively to be an entertaining actor. So, I ventured to the theater after paying fifty-three cents, sat down amongst dozens of women, and prepared myself for what was to come–whatever that might end up being. It Ends With Me is the biggest surprise so far of 2024, delighting me from the start, nearly entrancing me every step of the way.
I have one minor issue with this film: the wardrobe of Lively. I won’t go into detail here. Head over to TikTok and watch my short review if you’re curious about that, but I’m planning to remain positive here because of how much I loved this film.
For starters, the acting is brilliant. Lively is wonderful as always, Justin Baldoni (Ryle Kincaid) and Brandon Sklenar (Atlas Corrigan) were spectacular in their respective roles, and Jenny Slate (Allysa) was the biggest surprise for me. I typically find her in silly, comedic roles, ones like her character Mona-Lisa Saperstein in Parks and Recreation, but here she has the opportunity to play someone far more serious, essential to the film and to the development of Lily throughout the course of It Ends With Us. She thrives in her role, helping to develop emotion, other characters, and the film as a whole.
The casting was obviously spectacular, but the casting that most floored me was Isabela Ferrer who plays a younger version of Lily. Not only is she a wonderful actor, but she looks nearly identical to Lively. Relatively early in the film, as it transitions to the past for the first of many times, Ferrer appeared on screen. For what felt like an eternity I had to question whether or not that was still Lively staring into the camera. The similarities are uncanny, allowing every second of Ferrer’s time on screen to work perfectly. Perfect isn’t a word that I use often, it’s a word that I intentionally shy away from in my reviews because the fact of the matter is that rarely are things in life (particularly in films) perfect. With that said, there are many aspects of It Ends With Us that are perfect–and the casting is just one example.
Something else that’s perfect is the soundtrack. What felt like a brilliant blend of indie rock, pop, and alternative sounds–It Ends With Us’ soundtrack is simply wonderful. Each and every song supplements the piece of the film in which it exists, and that includes a song by T-Swizzle (I refuse to say her actual name as if she were Lord Voldemort). Every song works, every song belongs just where it is and I often found myself getting emotional as they played loudly through the theater.
The drama and emotion strewn throughout this film was simply impeccable, effectively reaching viewers every step of the way. I came close to tearing up multiple times, connecting with nearly every character at one point or another. It Ends With Us was, again, a huge surprise. I hadn’t read the book, but knowing (for the most part) exactly what this film was about (thanks to the trailer–and that needs to stop being the case), I anticipated a dud, a film that simply didn’t have the ability to appeal to me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. There is still some mystery present in this beautiful film, the soundtrack helps to bring everything to life, and a brilliant cast hits the nail on the head every step of the way.
It Ends With Us is everything that I never expected and everything that I could have ever hoped for. I love this movie, and I can pretty much guarantee that you will, too.
Directed by Justin Baldoni.
Written by Christy Hall & Colleen Hoover.
Starring Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, Brandon Sklenar, Hasan Minhaj, Kevin McKidd, Amy Morton, Alex Neustaedter, Isabela Ferrer, etc.
9/10 = DROP EVERYTHING AND WATCH IT NOW
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