It Ends

Alexander Ullom

CARINA DIERINGER

I saw indie-horror film “It Ends” the way it was meant to be seen—in my local community theater TriLingua Cinema’s new basement micro-cinema at a Halloween event planned by me and other community youth. A large, corporate theater would have made the movie feel disconnected from real life, but the micro-cinema was perfect for experiencing the movie’s enclosed, claustrophobic environment.

“It Ends” is a story of isolation, loss, and how far you will go for your friends. This movie was shot with an $80,000 budget and a lot of passion. It follows four friends driving home following their move out of college. After taking a turn onto a street surrounded by woods, they end up on a road that never seems to end. When they stop driving for too long, the car is attacked by people who lie in the woods awaiting passing vehicles, presumably hoping to steal them and find their way out.

What I found interesting is that the horror of the film relies on the colonial belief that the world is empty and meaningless outside of modern European civilization. Almost the entire movie takes place inside an enclosed car, a representation of “civilized” society. Staying inside the car feels safer to the four friends than the idea of exploring the open expanse of woods. How long does it take until someone will stop clinging to this belief? Is accepting your new reality really giving up, or is it starting anew?

“It Ends” is an incredible addition to the recent trend of horror movies that explore the feeling of being trapped (“Backrooms,” “Obsession,” etc.). And I can tell you, it sure does end.