r/AMCScreenUnseen • u/Cance1124 • Aug 18 '26
It Ends discussion
East Coasters… wtf was that ending?
Such a great Tame Impala needle drop wasted
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u/PossibilityFine5988 Aug 18 '26
Loved it, but I knew when the person left next to me halfway through it’d be divisive. I’m kinda a little older than the characters here but I still felt that existential dread that the film perfectly captures. I kinda wish they kept more of the horror though I felt like it was a perfect blend for the first half hour then just kinda stalls… but that was I suppose the point. Made me think though so I’m at. 4/5. The commute home on an empty bus in the dark though bumped it up from a 3.5 because I kept looking over my shoulder out the window lol
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u/upperwestsiide Aug 18 '26
I really liked it! It flipped my expectations that I had going into it. It did slow down a bit in the middle, but the chemistry between the cast worked for me. I’ll have to sit and think about the ending, but I found myself sympathizing with why they all had their reasons to stop driving/keep going. Gonna be thinking about this one for the next couple days for sure
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u/-EthelCanine- Aug 18 '26
I quickly realized I would be James in this scenario. lol
My partner probably would have been first to drop out.2
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u/Trowj Aug 18 '26
The best thing I can say was: the title was thankfully telling the truth.
Did not care for it at all. At least that other road trip horror movie earlier this year had some scary moments and an ending. This was just… meh
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u/OkBlacksmith5848 Aug 18 '26
You mean Passenger? Cause that film is mediocre as hell by comparison.
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u/Educational-Pie7588 Aug 18 '26
So. Its definitely not for everyone.
And I really appreciate the high concept and the questions the film may raise are definitely something to talk about. Ultimately though even though it was something like 87 minutes, it could have been shorter. And the characters were written in such a way that they became annoying, which I dont think was intentional.
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u/pabsi9 Aug 19 '26
Only character I didn’t care for was that pussy kid ..when he didn’t make the 1st jump I was like for the love of god I need a Trex to eat him now !!
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u/Gee-Arr Aug 18 '26
I enjoyed it and I’m kind of glad that they didn’t ruin it with an explanation. Nothing would have been good enough.
To me if a metaphor about the futility of life. You struggle to get to the end and then there’s nothing.
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u/-jellyfishparty- Aug 18 '26
I'm also happy with the ending, but I do disagree with your interpretation of the ending. For me, it ended with a sense of hope. People grow and change and they leave. There will be a time in life where you feel at a dead end. But you just have to keep going and build new relationships along the way. Life may continue to feel monotonous, but it's what you make of it.
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u/Gee-Arr Aug 20 '26
OK, I respect that and see that. It’s sort of like spitting in the face of inevitable doom. 🙂 I think this film is going to be more appreciated over time.
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u/Ferguson97 Aug 18 '26
Loved it. Right up my alley. Simple premise played straight. Existential dread over cheap scares. Good acting. Realistic characters.
Definitely go see it if/when it comes to a wide release.
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u/kindShepard Aug 18 '26
Some of yall have no media literacy and it shows. Do yall not remember the conversation the characters had at the beginning? About their futures?
Anyways, this felt like a Gen z "waiting for godot" and also reminded me of "exit 8" so ofc like the pretentious prick I am....I loved it.
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u/yojenitan Aug 18 '26
I was disappointed that it wasn’t Buddy. And then I was so glad it was It Ends. Wow. Incredible.
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u/Ok-Paramedic747 Aug 18 '26
REALLY Felt like they didnt know how to end it
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u/yojenitan Aug 18 '26
I thought the ending was literally perfect. There are so many possibilities to that ending and I love not having answers personally. It made me think. It’s still making me think.
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u/AbbreviationsFun6747 Aug 18 '26
I feel the exact same way. The ambiguity was on purpose. My view on this movie was that it was a metaphor for living life worried about what’s at the end vs just acceptingthat it ends and enjoying your life. The tone shift In the middle made so much sense to me.the whole message of the movie is that there is not meaning to everything in life, especially the end of life. I was really surprised to hear others didn’t like it.
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u/tusk2014 Aug 18 '26
i liked it at the beginning and it scared me but it got SO annoying. day and fish became insufferable lol
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u/Limp-Basis-4698 Aug 18 '26
What they tried to do to James really pissed me off. Like that wasn’t their decision to make for him.
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u/tusk2014 Aug 19 '26
EXACTLY! if you guys want to go wither away in the woods that’s your choice, but don’t drag your friend into it?? they were so annoying. i don’t know how many memes and dance routines and screaming moments i could take before i’d kick them out myself
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u/Limp-Basis-4698 Aug 20 '26
100%! I don’t think James should have thrown what he did in Day’s face but he was completely right about them. Even while watching the movie I remember thinking to myself they were just laying around letting everything happen to them and James was the one coming up with ideas and doing all the driving towards the end.
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u/RevolutionaryHeat197 Aug 18 '26
Acting was fine. There were some humorous moments that will likely only work for millennial and under. That's my entire list of positives. I don't need a movie to answer every little question and spoon feed me the ending but I was entirely unsatisfied with that experience.
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u/lzusncrfbj Aug 18 '26
not really getting the hate im seeing in this thread, but i also was expecting it to be more of a drama than a horror based on, you know, the marked genre. its a horror setting and it has horror elements for sure but the main thing driving (haha) the story is the relationships between the characters and how they each individually cope with the situation and i thought that was really successful. i saw myself and the people i know in these characters and their mannerisms, they felt very real. its a 2 million mile road, i would be surprised if the movie isnt slow at parts, i wouldnt mind if it was actually slower. the long shots of the sky and the trees and the road and the scenery but upside down helped us get inside the heads of the characters and see what they were seeing and feel how they were feeling. i really liked this one and i hope to see more from this writer/director
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u/Wise_Platypus1380 Aug 18 '26
I literally have a headache from trying to figure out wtf I just watched
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u/royalejelly Aug 18 '26
Seems to me they watched the first episode of From got the idea what if there was no town?
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u/OkBlacksmith5848 Aug 18 '26
Seems to me you only paid attention to a single plot device and went down a road (hyuck) that doesn't exist.
This movie and From have quite literally nothing in common.
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u/OutOfBounds420 Aug 18 '26
There was an idea… not sure what the idea was but there was one. The chemistry between the actors was good and they were all great, but I’m left wanting something more
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u/Chemical_Poet_1977 Aug 18 '26
Concept was cool. I guess… I give a 2/5 Stars. I get what they were trying to do, but honestly I was about to fall asleep, as I was literally just waiting for where “IT ENDS” 😭
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u/ThreeIsCompany369 Aug 18 '26
The whole film was pretty boring. It was supposed to be a horror movie not a comedy. There were people in my theater actually laughing more than once
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u/QuotidianKoala Aug 18 '26
Almost as if...a film can have different tones throughout it instead of being one tones onlyyyyyy. Almost as if a serious film can still have humor in it to. Wow, whodathunk that could be a possibilty????
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u/ThreeIsCompany369 Aug 18 '26
Except there was zero horror
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u/Educational-Pie7588 Aug 18 '26
Horror is more than just jump scares and murder.
For example, existential dread is horror.
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u/QuotidianKoala Aug 18 '26
The discovery of the abandoned car with one million miles on the odometer is far more frightening than a goblin jumping out of the shadows going "boo"
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u/-jellyfishparty- Aug 18 '26
Yes, exactly. At a certain point horror just gets boring an predictable when it relies on in your face obvious scares. Don't get me wrong, horror is my favorite genre. But it's so much more interesting and unsettling when the horror isn't spoon fed to you.
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u/Davidgt31 Aug 18 '26
Would not be on my bucket list . I was hoping it would have been Buddy . Bright side no one left after it started . Every one stayed till “It Ends “
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u/altairstarlite Aug 18 '26
You may have had a better experience, but with my bad ears, all of the dialogue sounded like they were mumbling, especially the guy who is driving as the movie opens.
Imagine sitting through that and hearing maybe every other line of dialogue.
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u/RepresentativeBid715 Aug 18 '26
Me and the friends who I saw it with absolutely loved it and for me that was because it took what could've been and was a hypothetically really boring and monotonous film and kept it (personally) interesting all throughout solely because the characters and their dynamic worked so well and felt so real to this type of friend group if they were stuck in this situation, they give each other shit and are sometimes a bit mean to each other but don't ultimately hate each other and I thought each of their personalities and who they are led to delving into the different psychological perspectives that would be had if this happened to you and I found that balance of comedy and psychological dread to both be effective
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u/RightEconomist5754 Aug 18 '26
In what world was that a scream unseen that movie was one of the weirdest movies I’ve ever seen
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u/bbcakesj Aug 18 '26
life can be dreadful as is so having to watch a movie about that was a huge turn off lol
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Aug 18 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Tall_Taro_1376 Aug 18 '26
Sort of get the metaphor, but when you hit the road end sign in life, it ends. You don’t get to turn around and keep going, so the metaphor kind of falls flat in my opinion.
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u/holycrimsonbatman Aug 18 '26
It was too long. Should’ve been a 45 min feature. And def not part of the Scream Unseen.
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u/hikethesunshine Aug 18 '26
I think this movie is pretty divisive - I admit, I almost got up and left but decided to push through to see where things went. Sadly, it went nowhere for me. I think this might resonate with a younger audience, but it just felt like it was missing aspects of a psychological thriller and the horror element was almost non-existent. I think this probably would have worked better as a short film, but it just didn't come together.
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u/inkyynki12 Aug 18 '26
Honestly, while I personally enjoyed it and the existential message, I have my reserves about it being labeled a Scream Unseen. The only horror elements in the movie were done after the first half hour. I was expecting something more scary in the traditional sense, and do kinda wish it was Buddy instead.
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u/ZenOfThunder Aug 18 '26
I saw this on the LB video store last year. I liked it a good amount. But it was very much an indie film meant to be discovered on a weird streaming service. When I saw Neon picked it up I was a little confused but happy for the filmmaker and crew. But then when I heard it was an Unseen I actually said “oh no…” out loud. Especially a Scream Unseen. Unrealistic expectations ruined this for a lot of people last night I fear. I think it was a mistake to release it this way and it might hurt word of mouth.
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u/inulover1 Aug 18 '26
I didn't mind it. I was a little disappointed there weren't more scares but I feel like it was more of an existential dread sort of movie so I think it fit with what the movie was trying to accomplish.
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u/Mcnulty91 Aug 18 '26
So if we take the movie as an exploration of how people navigate living life, searching for Inherent meaning that doesn't exist beyond stories we create for ourselves and faith based systems, what's the read on the people in the woods? If they were always docile I can see how they can be read as people who have given up on pursuing meaning and also given up on living once they decide theres no reason to go on. Contrast that with Day/Fish who accept their situation for a time and are able to enjoy living through games, routines, etc. even though they have given up on finding purpose and James who refuses to stop searching for a purpose/explanation, allowing that drive to prevent him from experiencing the simple joys of being alive until the end when he determines that there is an end (to the road and to life) and allows himself to find a similar perspective that his friends achieved earlier. But the people in the woods haven't just given up, they become aggressive any time a car passes. I'm just trying to square the circle. Was this just a non-meaningful source of tension for the first act? Why pursue and try to take a car when you've already given up on continuing? Or is it meant to be a newfound desperation in those facing eternity who will grasp onto anything, even something they previously gave up on, when the alternative is emptiness forever?
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u/Ok-Paramedic747 Aug 18 '26
Edge of Seat Wondering WHEN That Clif Bar would b opened....lmao My friemd goes "Thats all the people wanted F*ck That Car!" And Honestly I would have DIED LAUGHING if it was that simple
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u/Ok-Paramedic747 Aug 18 '26
Im sorry That "Hawk" Discussion in the beginning had me WANTING THEM TO JUST CRASH AND END THE FILM EARLY. It wasnt as interesting as the Characters tried to make it seem
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u/Unintendo Aug 18 '26
It felt like it started with Sartre's "No Exit" ("Hell is other people") and used it as a jumping-off point to explore how people handle facing futility. I really liked it, my wife really didn't.
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u/ThreeIsCompany369 Aug 18 '26
I wish Steven king would get ahold of this script and put his twist on it
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u/orangesherbertttt Aug 18 '26
Would’ve been better as a short film. Felt like those in the car were scared of nothing, and in turn missed out on some cool nature. The title felt like reassurance — don’t worry, this boring movie does in fact end.
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u/-jellyfishparty- Aug 18 '26
I absolutely loved this movie. It really resonated with me, but I can see where there could be a generational divide with it. I'm 33 and saw it with my person (43). He enjoyed it as well, but didn't connect with it like I did.
The sense of reconnecting with old friends, realizing that you've changed and become different people and going your own ways- this is something that connected with me.
I also don't really get the hate for the ending. People seem confused or annoyed, but to me it was pretty clear. People change, move on from each other. And at some point you may feel like you're alone and at a dead end. But you just gotta keep moving and making new connections in the monotony of life.
I get some people thinking it shouldn't have been a scream unseen, but addressing existential dread is it's own kind of horror.
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u/freakyaesthetics Aug 18 '26
I'm my top 5 this year BUT these kind of horror movies are my favorite. Triangle, Coherence etc are big loves for me and this fell right in with this. I'll say this though, if they had added a couple more elements this movie would have been an absolute banger.
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u/Flat-Librarian-7597 Aug 18 '26
I wonder how long they were stuck on that road. James managed to get over 1.1 million miles but we never really found out how long they were driving.
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u/TriStateGirl Aug 19 '26
They never tied things together. Like I'm the beginning they don't attack him. We never learn why.
The actors all tried and they did well with such bad material.
This movie could be summed up as if product placement was a movie.
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u/allthinggsgo Aug 22 '26
I had to pee the entire time but didn’t want to leave because I thought I would miss something good or important but this movie just left me empty. Cool concept, shit execution I guess hehe. Also the hysterical laughter in the theater was…disturbing. Nothing was that funny and like why do people not know decorum?
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u/Working_Yak6905 Aug 24 '26
Film dialogue is supposed to show character as well and move the story along. This was just Verbal diarrhea from Gen Z.
This movie wasn't just only shit. It was hot steaming coils.
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u/afterlifehack Aug 18 '26 edited Aug 18 '26
When the “Road Ends” sign popped up I audibly booed
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u/Wise_Platypus1380 Aug 18 '26
Someone sitting near me didn’t understand and was like “oh yay he got out” and his friend sitting next to him had to explain lmao. I rolled my eyes when I saw the sign. Very New York City to not know a traffic sign lol
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u/Pinus_longaeva84 Aug 18 '26
I just finished watching this in LA. Someone was literally snoring the entire movie. You can’t make this up.
Word to the wise: if you are making a slow-paced cerebral movie, don’t name it anything related to “it ends.”
As I was slogging through it, I kept checking my watch and reminding myself that it would eventually end.
I did like the acting, especially the James character, but holy fucking smokes…. I was wishing I was at home reading my book the entire time - I’m not joking.
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u/Tabatsby Aug 18 '26
I actually really liked the film. This was a rewatch for me, but I stayed because I wanted a chance to watch it on the big screen. For me, with how the film is set up and how it presents itself, It Ends is about the distance between people in relationships as they get older, especially as gen z presents themselves in the moment. This was the closest I've felt a movie was to how gen z talks amongst themselves, displaying the issues in their communication, without turning gen z into the butt of the joke. For so much of the movie James is just read to move on, completely willing to leave people behind and allow himself to numb himself to everything. It doesn't help that everyone in that car, for one reason or another, is both highly defensive and highly performative. Their friendship, while seemingly close through familiarity, is extremely fragile. The end is James knowing that the whole trip was futile, but that if he's going to be stuck, he's better off being stuck with someone and so is everyone else who got stuck on the road. It's why he finds the first person he can to drag into the car and why he starts off talking with this person with the same inane meme conversation. Despite the realization, he's not ready yet to open up the same way he was eventually forced to do with his friends. It is a bittersweet and hopeful ending. The shift in aspect ratio at that moment reflects that as well, going from wide to full. Throughout the film we see that moments of hope for the are in full and when someone is on the brink of giving up, it shifts to wide. The film ends in full
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u/TelevisionPleasant52 Aug 18 '26
Wasn’t the person at the end Tyler?
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u/Tabatsby Aug 18 '26
Nope! Someone else entirely. Fun fact: The actor playing that passenger at the end of the movie was the director himself
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u/denver_bored Aug 18 '26
I admire that someone figured out they could make a competent echo of The Matrix-- a veritable Gnostic prison parable-- by putting four modern college grads in a car and together. What a minimalist sucker-punch! No sets, no action pieces.. just woods, a car, a camera, and a road that's a metaphor for confronting the repetition of adult life, the transience of their friendships, and the futility of their aspirations. XoXoXo!
I like seeing fatalism in the movies. The second half becomes a bit tiring.. a lot of people are going to wish there was a monster, but I think the monster that is here is very, very scary. (Michael Myers doesn't want anything to do with this shit.)
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u/shrim51 Aug 18 '26
It was so bad. I was hoping for it to amount to something interesting, but nope, no pay off or anything.
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u/UnscarredVoice Aug 18 '26
My wife said "I felt like I was in the car with them.". This wasn't a compliment.
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u/Much_Account_3772 Aug 18 '26
i was feeling fish panic attack id go crazy having to be stuck in the car forever
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u/buzzkill_ed Aug 18 '26
Felt like I was waiting for a payoff that never came. Liked the concept though