It Ends with Us
★ ★ ★
‘It Ends with Us’ is based on the bestselling novel by Colleen Hoover and takes a soft look at the cycle of abuse revolving around protagonist Lilly Blossom Bloom (Blake Lively) told in present tense with flashbacks to a first love during her teen years.
The storylines are woven together well, but there’s a sense that the characters are let off the hook a little too easily. Given the hard subject of physical and emotional abuse, I’m curious if the novel dived deeper into the emotional gravitas of those situations and how they affect the characters.
As such, there’s not an official antagonist in this film as the trailer might lead us to believe. Rather, the film’s antagonist is the subject of abuse itself. But as presented, it’s less poignant than the relationship Lily has with the other characters.
Still, there’s an engaging story involving a love triangle with Lily’s current love interest Ryle Kinkaid, played by Justin Baldoni, who’s also the film’s director, and that of her first love, Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar).
Blake Lively & Brandon Sklenar
© 2024 Wayfarer Studios / Saks Picture Company
The film opens with Lily returning to her hometown in Maine for her father Andrew’s (Kevin McKidd) funeral. She’s there to help her mother Jenny (Amy Morton) prepare the final arrangements. She’s supposed to give the eulogy but can’t come up with anything good to say, so she leaves the funeral altogether.
Lily goes back to Boston and sits on the ledge on the roof of an apartment building and looks out at the city. Ryle busts through the roof door, clearly agitated, and kicks a chair, completely unaware of Lily’s presence. When he notices her, he’s a bit embarrassed at his behavior.
I’m not sure if the following red flags are readily apparent to most viewers, as missing them tends to be what lands people in abusive relationships. Ryle commands Lily get off the ledge because it’s making him nervous. It’s a subtle red flag, but this plays as more about Ryle controlling Lily, and his concern for her safety is more about his uneasiness rather than her welfare.
Still, they start talking more. He pokes fun at her name and finds extremely subtle ways of belittling her. He tells her that he wants to have sex with her as a way of being honest, clarifying that he doesn’t do relationships.
Lily asks how many women that tactic has worked on and Ryle replies, “All of them.” Lily informs him his streak is over. They part ways, and both reasonably assume they’ll never see each other again.
Blake Lively and Jenny Slate
© 2024 Wayfarer Studios / Saks Picture Company
Lily is in Boston pursuing her dream of opening a flower shop. Upon cleaning out a retail space that’s been vacant for years, a woman named Allysa (Jenny Slate) pops into the shop, curious as to what Lily will be turning it into. Their conversation leads to Lily hiring Allysa, and the two quickly become best friends.
We also quickly learn that Allysa is Ryle’s sister, which eventually leads to Lily dating Ryle, who convinces her she’s made him want a relationship. After much pursuit, and a bit of Lily playing hard-to-get, she falls head-over-heels for Ryle.
Lily introduces Ryle to her mother at a restaurant that happens to be owned by Atlas. Thus, we are presented with a love triangle.
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni
© 2024 Wayfarer Studios / Saks Picture Company
In flashbacks, it’s revealed that Lily’s father was abusive to her mother, which is the reason Lily could not bring herself to deliver a eulogy at his funeral. It’s also revealed that her father catches Atlas and her in bed and beats Atlas within an inch of his life.
The abuse that happens with Ryle appears to be accidental. The more Lily reflects upon it, the more she sees it for what it is. The revelation that she’s in an abusive relationship really needed a deeper dive than the film provided. That’s why it’s more of a “soft look” than a serious examination.
Themes that involve breaking abusive cycles, especially generational ones, can be powerful and allow us to reflect on what might be going on in our own lives.
While ‘It Ends with Us’ doesn’t address enough hard questions, it’s still and engaging story that works well, even if the characters are let off the hook a bit to easily.
It’s not the film that it could have been, but what it is isn’t half bad.
Rated: PG-13 (Some Strong Language, Sexual Content, Domestic Violence)
Running Time: 2h 10m
Directed by: Justin Baldoni
Written by: Christy Hall
Starring: Blake Lively, Justin Baldoni, Brandon Sklenar, Jenny Slate, Amy MOrton, Kevin McKidd
Romance, Drama
