It Ends with Us

With Ryan Reynolds currently dominating the box office, it’s only natural that his partner-in-crime, Blake Lively, would aim to keep the winning streak going. Early tracking for It Ends with Us suggests strong box office numbers. The film seems to be a bona fide success on the commercial front, but on the quality front, it missed the mark for me.

Now, let me get a few things out of the way. Am I the target audience for this film? Definitely not. Did I read the book it’s based on? Nope. Nevertheless, did I end up liking the movie? Sadly, no. 

From the get-go, It Ends with Us feels like it’s methodically checking off genre clichés. We get two attractive leads who instantly fall for each other, with one bringing several overhead compartments’ worth of emotional baggage into the relationship and the other having so many red flags from the moment he steps foot on-screen that he could be a formidable bullfighter. There are steamy sex scenes, clunky dialogue, heavy-handed exposition, messy love triangle shenanigans, and poorly executed flashbacks galore. 

Yet, amid the abundance of stale genre tropes, It Ends with Us manages to hit a few high notes. The romantic chemistry between Lively and Justin Baldoni is palpable, and the film opens with a strikingly intimate and effective rooftop scene. You can understand why Lively’s character Lily would be drawn to this neurosurgeon despite his glaring red flags. The highs and lows of their relationship are felt deeply, and the gravity of the moments of domestic violence resonates. However, despite these strengths, the film still left me wanting more.

The negatives, though, are hard to ignore. Despite the film’s sincere intentions, it often veers into the unintentionally laughable due to questionable writing, wide range of acting ability, and some truly bizarre costume choices. While I’m no fashionista, I couldn’t help but cringe at some of Lily’s outfits—the sparkly party dress, the all-leather funeral attire, and the wedding gown were particularly horrendous. Lively delivers a commendable performance as Lily, but it feels undermined by the film’s other elements (namely, the script). The love triangle feels forced and the flashbacks, while connecting in the past, seem out of place when reintroduced in the present. Additionally, the soundtrack seemed out of place, ranging from Radiohead to Taylor Swift to Post Malone.

As for the script, this film seems to avoid taking a firm stance on domestic violence until the very end. The film skirts around the issue, suggesting the abuse was a misunderstanding — an approach that, while realistic in abusive relationships, is poorly executed here. The filmmakers’ handling of this realization feels clunky and muddles the previous two hours. The film’s 130-minute runtime also feels excessive, and by the end, the initial goodwill from the rooftop scene and the cast’s chemistry is overshadowed by a drawn-out conclusion.

In summary, It Ends with Us might appeal to fans of the book or those who enjoy a certain style of melodrama. However, for me, it often seemed to undermine its own message with inconsistent character actions and an overreliance on clichés. It falls short of delivering a heartfelt narrative, feeling more like a parade of clichés than a compelling story.

4/10