Based on the novel, I’m Thinking of Ending Things follows a young woman (Jessie Buckley) experiencing misgivings about her new boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) as they travel to meet his parents.
However, nothing is as it seems.
Charlie Kaufman’s takes us on an unsettling, surreal and thought provoking journey through the dualities of human condition. It is a brilliant composition of bleak despair and loneliness entangled with sprinkles of disorienting confusion. Yet it is deliriously quirky and captivating. This film is emotionally devastating, radical and won’t be for everyone.
But I don’t think Kaufman cares.
Director, producer and writer, Kaufman, (known for my all-time favorite film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) is notorious for his unique and personal works grounded in harsh realities. That is what makes him the perfect captain for this ship.
And what’s a successful ship without a stellar crew? The performances in I’m Thinking of Ending Things are fantastic.
Buckley and Plemons are extraordinary as the central characters. And by now we should all know that Toni Colette is involved in a familial thriller, she is bound to take us on a ride. This performance is perhaps even more unsettling than that of hers in the critically acclaimed, Hereditary. This woman is a gift to the cinema but I digress.
To put it plainly, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is not your happily ever after sort of tale. The film’s juxtaposition in themes, slow burn and unpredictable nature is what makes it so engrossing as a viewer.
Final Thoughts: I’m Thinking of Ending Things is confounding, metaphorical and worth the watch if you want to be challenged.
Heather's Hot Takes 