It Ends (2026)
Directed by: Alex Ullom
Premise: A group of young friends traveling in a car turn onto a straight rural road. The road continues into infinity and every time they stop, the passengers are attacked by stranded travelers trying to steal the car.
What Works: The premise of It Ends is reminiscent of scenarios in The Twilight Zone and like many of the best episodes of that show, the premise of It Ends is a metaphor about life. A carful of young people are put into a scenario that visualizes the monotonous and numbing quality of life. The opening sets up this idea as the passengers talk about their jobs and career goals while also amusing themselves with social media nonsense. They become trapped on the road, forced to either keep going toward an unknown destination or give up and exit the car. It Ends is cast with young characters but it’s very much a middle-aged movie. It’s a story about existential malaise that is recognizable to anyone who has worked a dead-end job, had their dreams frustrated, or otherwise felt worn down by life’s daily grind. Despite the entire film consisting of people driving in a straight line, the filmmakers present this scenario in ways that are consistently engaging. The interior of the car is shot creatively, making that space look bigger than it actually is and the conversations are edited to draw out the relationships between the characters.
What Doesn’t: It Ends has been marketed as a horror picture. It starts out that way but by the halfway point this film evolves into something else. This is actually to the movie’s credit. There’s an interesting emotional and tonal trajectory to the picture. It Ends is horrific in an existential way but the movie may disappoint viewers expecting a more familiar kind of horror show. Many early scenes are set at night and some of the imagery is hard to decipher. It’s murky and obscures the details. The characters are underwritten. Their relationships are unclear and they make some dramatic revelations but nothing is done with them. As a metaphor about life, It Ends is a bit narrow and cynical. It is true that life can be a monotonous slog but that’s most often true for people who do nothing with their lives. The film’s premise cuts out the possibilities of experience and change. The metaphor has some validity. It speaks to the way some people go through their lives but it’s a flat and limited view of life.
Bottom Line: It Ends fashions a simple concept into a provocative metaphor. The movie suffers from some technical flaws and it’s not a film for a horror audience looking for a traditional scare. But viewers who are willing to go for the ride may find this the movie to be a rewarding watch.
Episode: #1113 (August 23, 2026)