I'm Thinking of Ending Things

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Charlie Kaufman is undeniably one of the greatest writers of the 2000s. Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind are some of his most notable works, but it’s Synecdoche, New York that’s considered by many as one of the best films of the respective decade. Therefore, I was obviously excited about his return to live-action movies (since 2008, he’s only made the animated feature, Anomalisa). I’m Thinking of Ending Things boasts an incredibly talented cast, capable of seating me down and make me watch any film they participate in, even though Jessie Buckley (Dolittle) is sort of a new face to me. My expectations were moderately high, so how did it go?

I’m not going to lie, I found this movie so intricate that I had a really hard time figuring it all out. As soon as it ended, I knew I didn’t understand it in full, which generated an unusual yet refreshing feeling inside me. I felt the need to not only think about the film all night but since I didn’t have the time to watch it again, I returned to a few specific scenes in the next morning. I also researched a bit and talked with a fellow critic to settle some of my mind’s internal debates. I write this to imply that this is not an easy movie to decipher, which will definitely throw some people off. It’s a film that requires all of the viewer’s attention and self-questioning capability. Otherwise, things will get complicated.

As usual, I’m not sharing any spoilers, so I’ll keep my opinion about the story’s multiple interpretations to the bare minimum. Of all the numerous ways of explaining this movie, I found two: either from Jessie Buckley’s character’s perspective or from Jesse Plemons’. I like both for different reasons. In terms of logic, which every viewer will struggle to find, Plemons’ character is the key to understand the remarkably complex, multi-layered narrative. Looking at the film from his perspective, everything makes much more sense. However, it’s surprisingly from Buckley’s view that I find the movie’s message to be more interesting and likely to resonate with most people.

Making an impactful move in life requires determination, courage, decisiveness. Moving to another country, switching jobs, ending a relationship… all can be extremely demanding and psychologically pai

I'll be honest, I didn't fully have a clue what was happening for large portions. Yet, I still weirdly enjoyed watching <em>'I’m Thinking of Ending Things'</em>.

I think the main reasons for that are the two leads: Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons. They kept everything feeling fresh and intriguing to me, both have their moments in this. Toni Collette and David Thewlis also do very well. I like the cast, for sure.

As for the plot, it didn't do anything for me but it did keep me thinking which I appreciated. I, personally, would've preferred a shorter run time and clearer meaning - the latter is just me though, I'm sure others will adore the way the film is portrayed.

Some other reviewers have put it perfectly in terms of matching me: not nous enough to 'get it', but it still comes across as a good film. I'm fine with that, each to their own as always.