"Both fiction and memories are recalled and retold. They're both forms of stories. Stories are the way we learn. Stories are how we understand each other."
Director: Charlie Kaufman
Where Available: Netflix
Rating:
Summary:
Nothing is as it seems when a women experiencing misgivings about her new boyfriend joins him on a road trip to meet his parents at their remote farm.
Review:
I was worried when I first found out Netflix was working with Charlie Kaufman to make this movie, because it's something that could have been ruined by the classic Netflix model, but it proved me completely wrong. I have recently been on a streak of psychologically dramas. From Tenet to Interstellar to I'm Thinking Of Ending Things, my brain has really been through a lot. Now, I understand how coming out of the theaters and thinking "What the hell did I just watch?" is not everyones cup of tea. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is one of those films where you think you understand what is going on, and then the last 20 minutes throws you for a look
I'm Thinking of Ending Things follows Jake and Lucy on a snowy car ride to visit Jake's parents. As the title implies, Lucy is thinking of ending things, but only we the audience know this. Parallel to this story we find a high school janitor, who eventually crosses paths with our couple in an unusual turn of events.
I want to bring up the aspect ratio right away. With a tight 4:3 aspect ratio, Lukasz Zal (the cinematographer, who also worked on one of my favorite animations Loving Vincent) creates a sense of claustrophobia, forcing the viewer to really pay attention to what is in the frame, and maybe even more attention to what is outside and missing. For a movie that spends quite a bit of time looking at to two characters bantering in a car, I was completely entranced by every shot. Mix in some wind sound and a lot of snow, and you give the audience a lot of anxiety!
I'm Thinking of Ending Things is adapted from a novel of the same name by Ian Reid, but Kaufman definitely makes the story his own. Kaufman's previous directing credits include "Synecdoche, New York" and "Being John Malkovich" which both analyze the inside of the male psyche. Kaufman takes "show not tell" to a WHOLE new level. The entire movie is littered with so many secrets and references that you could teach a whole masterclass about it. I have not read the book, but from what I have seen, the Kaufman reveals shocking information much differently. Ian Reid reveals in the third act everything that was confusing in the first two. Kaufman on the other hand overloads viewers with hints throughout the film right up until the last scene. But, even through all of the confusing details, the movie still has a clear purpose, which I will get into later.
Think of this movie as Fight Club mixed with A Beautiful Mind mixed with Inside The Mind of John Malkovich. Cast wise, I get The Visit vibes, minus the murders. The ABSOLUTE TALENT was RADIATING off of my screen:
Jessie Buckley is absolutely spectacular as Lucy. I remember watching her in the limited series Chernobyl as Lyudmilla Ignatenko. She was also in the movie Judy, and will be in the upcoming film The Lost Daughter directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal. I felt like I was watching a literal GHOST acting onscreen, which in context is a complement.
Jesse Plemons. Wow. This guy CREEPED ME OUT, in a good way. Lots of people will know him from his supporting role in Friday Night Lights. His other credits include The Irishman, The Post, and VICE. This man is SO talented, and trust me, you do not want to miss what he does with Jake in this movie.
Toni Collette. Toni Collette. Toni Collette. This woman could singlehandedly save the world from Aliens if the time came. That is how powerful she is. She is reason #1 as to why I get The Visit vibes from this! Her other credits include Knives Out, Little Miss Sunshine, The Sixth Sense, and a lot more! If you need one reason to watch this movie, it has to be because of Toni Collettes facial expressions.
David Thewlis is one of my favorite people ever. I am a big Harry Potter fan, so any time my boy Lupin is in a movie I have to watch it. This man is reason #2 for The Visit vibes! The way David and Toni work together to scare the crap out of you even though this isn't a horror movie is INSANE.
Humans need metaphors to actually understand the world around us. We tell ourselves stories in order to live. My favorite quote from the movie is "you can't fake a thought." The only people that really have access to these thoughts are those we choose to share our lives with forever, and they don't ever fully understand it. We can find comfort and terror in that, or we can idealize these strangers in our lives so that we don't have to risk heartbreak. Everyone will be able to relate to Jake in some way, and that is the beauty of Ian Reid's writing and Charlie Kaufman's directing. Now here is where I tell the people who haven't seen the movie yet to go watch it, then come back and read the rest of this review. The following paragraphs are for those who have seen the movie, and don't completely understand what happened. *BIG SPOILERS AHEAD* Jake has completely absorbed all of the media surrounding him. From the books, DVD's and movies in his, it is clear that the media of his childhood governs every aspect of his reality. It seems like Jake is able to read Lucy's thoughts at some points in the movie. Well, he can, sometimes. To put it simply, at the end of Reid's novel, it is revealed that Jake and Lucy are actually the same person. In the movie, it isn't directly stated but can be inferred through the almost mind reading, switching Lucy's name/clothes/personality/job, switching Jake and Lucy's origin story, and many more small details. But, even though Jake has created all of Lucy in his mind, she doesn't always do what he wants her too. Kaufman said "I really like the idea that even within his fantasy, he cannot have what he wants. He's going to imagine how it won't work, how she's going to get bored with him, how she's going to not think he's smart enough or interesting enough." Also, Jake and the janitor are the same person. The entire movie is pretty much a daydream the janitor is having. Sadly, before the janitor decides if he wants to kill himself, he decided to look back on his younger years and imagine what the other paths of life might have been like. "Lucy" isn't a real person, and this meet the parents scenario never actually happened, hence the reason every aspect of the film is continually changing. She is his "perfect girl," crafted out of the media he consumed as a child. It isn't necessary to understand every single little detail of the movie, but it definitely makes you want to rewatch the movie in an attempt to catch everything. "Sometimes a thought is closer to truth, to reality, than action. You can say anything, you can do anything, but you can't fake a thought." "Both fiction and memories are recalled and retold. They're both forms of stories. Stories are the way we learn. Stories are how we understand each other." "I think a lot of what we learn about others isn't what they tell us. It's what we observe. People can tell us anything they want." "The meaning of my existence is that life has addressed a question to me. Or, conversely, I myself am a question which is addressed to the world, and I must communicated my answer, for otherwise I am dependent upon the world's answer." "That's the thing. Part of everything will always be forgettable. No matter how good or remarkable it is. It literally has to be. To be." “Other animals live in the present. Humans cannot. So they invented hope.”
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