Movie Review - Sony's It Ends with Us

We break the pattern or the pattern breaks us.

It Ends with Us is a 2024 romantic drama film directed by Justin Baldoni, written by Christy Hall, produced by Columbia Pictures, Wayfarer Studios, and Saks Picture Company, and distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing. It is based off of Colleen Hoover's 2016 novel of the same name. The film stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni.

"It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us." - Lily Bloom

Plot

After opening her flower shop in Boston, Lily Bloom continues to run into charming neurosurgeon Ryle Kincaid. When the two hit it off, Lily is ecstatic. However, after running into her childhood sweetheart, Lily's relationship with Ryle becomes more complicated and starts to parallel a darker side of her parents' relationship.

The Background

I have never read It Ends with Us. I never really knew the story, but I had heard of the novel. Colleen Hoover is one of the most popular authors right now, and It Ends with Us is perhaps her most popular book. Because of this, I had a bunch of friends who had read this book. So I was interested to see this film. I enjoy Blake Lively. The trailer looked interesting. But I don't love romance films, so I was not super excited for this. But I was intrigued.

The Sweet

And this film absolutely surprised me.

The thing that makes It Ends with Us so good is how real it feels. Colleen Hoover has said in interviews that she based this story off of the relationship of her parents, and I think you can see that. The way that the film reveals information and lets you re-interpret scenes later in the story makes you realize how abuse in real life can continue. It's a very eye-opening experience that just feels like a snapshot of an abusive relationship and how complicated things can get.

The other thing that makes this film feel so grounded in reality is the characters. Blake Lively's Lily Bloom is incredibly charming and very likable, but you see and understand her struggle and trauma. From the very beginning of the film, we understand her complex relationship with her parents and how that informs her own relationship. On the other side of things, Ryle is never really villainized. Despite the fact that he is abusive and that you as the audience member don't really like him, he feels like a real person. In real life, it's never as simple as good and bad, and It Ends with Us remembers that. The abuser in this relationship is not made out to be a bad person, which just makes the story feel so real.

And, because the film feels so real, it is even more powerful. This movie is difficult. It deals with a difficult subject matter and does not shy away from the darkness and trauma that comes along with domestic violence. As someone who is not super informed about domestic violence, this movie felt like a wake-up call that really shines a light on all the complexities and reasons for why the cycle of abuse continues. It tackles these ideas in a very mature, respectful manner that feels like it's educating the audience without preaching at them. I thought that the message and subject matter were handled with perfection.

The thing that also makes this film feel so powerful is the fact that it sets up the first half as this fun, feel-good romance. Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni have great chemistry. Both of their characters are likable and attractive. Their relationship is built up really well. They are both incredibly happy. All of this makes it even more impactful as everything starts to fall apart and the abuse gets the spotlight. It was a really good juxtaposition between what this ideal Hollywood romances are and how real relationships actually are.

This movie also tells this story with some precision. The screenplay is really, really good. Lines of dialogue are stated in the beginning of the film and brushed off as nothing, but then they come back in the final moments and hit you in an emotional, impactful way. The movie has a solid amount of surprises, which just keeps the viewer invested, because you never really know what direction this story is going in.

I also really loved the ending of this film. I get emotional at movies, but there's a difference between getting emotional and crying. I don't usually cry at movies, but this film made me cry. The final twenty minutes or so are just able to capture so much emotion, whether it be happiness, sadness, anger, fear, love...it encapsulates it all so well. And, again, that blend of emotions made it feel real.

The Sour

I honestly don't have much negative to say on this film. There are a few nitpicks, but nothing really that major.

The first thing I will say, however, is that this film is not entertaining. If you are a romance fan, (unlike me) this is not exactly your typical romance film. It's not feel-good. It has moments of happiness and joy, but this film is sad. As I said before, it is a difficult watch, so just go in with the right expectations. If you've read the book, you know what to expect. But just know that entertainment isn't exactly what this movie is going for.

However, I do feel like when it goes for the Hollywood moments, it feels a bit out of place. This is still a fictional film. Despite being inspired by Hoover's parents, this movie is still Hollywood and still has Hollywood moments. And there are times where it feels like it does veer into Hollywood romance when it isn't trying to. There aren't many of those instances, but whenever it does happen, it feels awkward.

And, kind of piggybacking off of that, there are some moments that feel like plot conveniences. Certain things that characters do or don't do feel wrong. Lily won't tell Ryle something so that Ryle will get mad at her later in the story, but there's no reason for Lily to not tell Ryle. Atlas will continue to pursue Lily when he has no real reason to just so the plot can move forward. These aren't big instances, but when they appear, it feels strange.

Final Thoughts and Score

It Ends with Us is one of the biggest surprises I have had in a movie theater in a while. This film is emotional, powerful, and eye-opening...everything that it aims to be.

I am going Sweet here. Age range is 13+.

SWEET N' SOUR SCALE

Sweet (Great) Savory (Good) Sour (Bad) Moldy (Terrible)

"It Ends with Us"

Fun Factor: 6/10

Acting: 8.5/10

Story: 9.5/10

Characters: 9.5/10

Quality: 9/10

Directed by Justin Baldoni

Rated PG-13 for language, sexual content, disturbing themes and images, thematic elements

Released on August 9, 2024

2 hours and 10 minutes

Blake Lively as Lily Bloom

Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid

Brandon Sklenar as Atlas Corrigan

Jenny Slate as Allysa

Hasan Minhaj as Marshall

Amy Morton as Jenny Bloom

Isabela Ferrer as Young Lily

Alex Neustaedter as Young Atlas