A faithful adaptation to its source material that delicately handles the more sensitive moments, It Ends With Us is an emotional look at domestic violence and healing generational trauma that is anchored by its lead actors' strong performances.
It Ends With Us Movie Review
Anyone who spends time on BookTok knows the name Colleen Hoover aka CoHo. Her novels have sold more than 20 million copies worldwide with It Ends With Us being the most popular. So it's not surprising that it was the first of her romances to be given the Hollywood treatment. With a built-in fanbase, named the CoHort naturally, the film is poised to be a late Summer hit. But as with any book to screen jump, there are hurdles that must be cleared in order to appease both longtime fans and audiences who are entering this world for the first time. In the case of Hoover's bestseller, there are additional challenges. Some readers see it as a cathartic, beautiful story of overcoming abuse while others feel it actually glorifies it instead. Armed with a slick script from “Daddio” filmmaker Christy Hall, delicate direction, and Blake Lively‘s powerful performance, the film handles the subject matter with care, sensitivity, with the right amount of levity.
It Ends With Us is a faithful adaptation to its source, changing a few aspects (such as the characters' ages and certain events) in order to make the film flow smoothly. All the iconic lines and the moments that made the book resonate with readers are all accounted for. Hall's screenplay walks the line between fan service and acknowledging the more ridiculous nature of its romance novel background– Lily Blossom Bloom is a florist and her love interest is a guy that looks like he belongs on General Hospital, I mean come on. However, it is truly the performances of Lively, Justin Baldoni (pulling double duty as co-star and director), and the rest of the cast that make the whole thing come to life like flowers blooming (couldn't help it sorry).
Lily Bloom's (Lively) father (Kevin McKidd) recently died but she finds herself unable to grieve. After going up onto a rooftop to process her emotions, she meets Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni), a commitment-phobic neurosurgeon who looks like he belongs in a soap opera not the or. Their first interaction is almost the picture perfect definition of a meet-cute. The flirtation is strong, the lingering gazes stoke the sexual tension, and if you don't know any better, you are fully rooting for these two to get together. They eventually do end up in a relationship that seems idyllic until it's not. After one fateful day that ends with a run-in with her first love Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), this romance movie descends into dark and sinister territory. Suddenly Lily realizes she is living a life that parallels that of her mother's, domestic abuse and all.
It's a delicate and sensitive subject, one that must be handled with respect from both how it is presented on screen and how the actors handle their respective roles in the trauma. To lay the foundation, Lily's childhood is woven in via a series of flashbacks that reveal the abuse she witnessed growing up. It also serves as an introduction to the one person that has always been a light in her life– Atlas (played as a teen by Alex Neustaedter, opposite Isabela Ferrer as young Lily). From these moments we glean the strength of their bond and why when Atlas sees her in the present day, the sight of her blackened eye immediately sends him into protective mode. The plot is full of romance novel tropes, but Baldoni chooses to frame everything very carefully and always from Lily's perspective. Each camera angle and closeup is purposefully filmed to flow with Lily's state of mind. At first the abuse seems accidental, as she tries to grasp the situation through the lens of love for this man. Our confirmation that he did indeed do these things to her comes in the third act when Lily herself realizes the truth.
As far as the abuse itself, Baldoni's approach in how it is revealed not only allows the film to retain a PG-13 rating but also means it won't be considerably disturbing to those watching. Make no mistake, it is triggering all the same. I found myself clenching my fists so hard my nails left imprints in my skin as Lily begged Ryle to leave her alone. But I was also thankful I didn't get the carnage of abuse that a stronger rating would have allowed for. The messages of the film come across without the needless violence and for that I'm thankful.
I cannot say enough about how incredible Lively is as Lily, with her ginger hair, infectious grin, and witty charm. She is equally amazing and heartbreaking to watch as everything unfolds. Her chemistry is different yet strong with each of her love interests. Baldoni makes it easy to see how Lily could overlook those red flags and fall in love with this man. He's more than just a handsome abusive man but at the same time your sympathy for him lasts about as long as a frittata should bake. Baldoni holds back Ryle's dark side until it becomes obvious to Lily and then he wears it like a tie around his neck. Sklenar's Atlas is everything a book boyfriend should be– sweet, kind, understanding, strong, and good-looking. Unfortunately he's underutilized but don't worry, the book has a sequel (It Begins With Us) which means we could get more Lily-Atlas interactions in the future.
Truthfully, I was never drawn to the book. I knew what it was about and as a survivor it wasn't something I was eager to read. I’ll take my Sarah J. Maas books where the Bat Boys reign supreme and I don't have to think about the harsh truths of reality. But I'm nothing if not a huge believer that you should read books before watching their movie version. I was reluctant but I did it, and I will say that reading it helped prepare me for the more triggering aspects of the movie. As I sat there, I found myself not crying or even sad but angry. Angry that it happened to me and angry that it happens to anyone. Which is why I hope that like the book, the film will encourage those to get help who need it.
Verdict
It Ends With Us is not just a story about breaking generational trauma and escaping domestic violence. It's also a loving reminder to know your worth and to love all the parts of yourself that make you you. It's a film that will make you cry, laugh, and cry some more (or get mad if you're me). Thankfully the more ridiculous aspects of the novel are acknowledged, making them funny instead of cringy. Despite the darker story matter this film like its source material is designed to shine light into that darkness and prove that something beautiful can grow in the harshest of places.
It Ends with Us releases in theaters on Friday, August 9. It is rated PG-13 for domestic violence, sexual content and some strong language with a runtime of 2 hours 10 minutes.
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