'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' - Another Delicious Kaufman Nightmare

 

I think it is generally understood that when you watch a Charlie Kaufman film, you’re going to walk away with quite a bit of confusion. In the past few years, Anomalisa and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind have been two films that stuck out the most clearly in my mind, constantly having me come back to them and reading/watching relevant analysis pieces online. And so, when I watched the trailer for I’m Thinking of Ending Things, I knew I would be similarly confused and enthralled. And when I saw that Tony Collette was in the cast, I was immediately sold.

 

I’m Thinking of Ending Things features a character who we know as Lucy going on a trip to meet her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Her boyfriend, Jake, seems to have a strange relationship with his mum and dad, who live on an isolated farm where they are surrounded by death, desolation, and pigs infested with maggots.

 

Needless to say, things get creepy straight away. Without giving too much away, the entire visit takes on a sort of surreal, other-worldly vibe, and I felt tense throughout. Even before things get absurdly weird, you constantly have the feeling that something is not quite right, almost as if you’re in a dream. With outstanding performances and some incredible makeup effects, the visit to Jake’s childhood home has the audience extremely on edge.

I would absolutely recommend this film, but I would advise anyone going into it not to expect a clear-cut horror film, but more a psychological experience that might have you questioning everything by the time it’s finished. That, to me, is the epitome of terror.