It Ends with Us: A Frustratingly Inert Portrayal of Abusive Relationships

Based on the 2016 novel by Colleen Hoover, the movie adaptation of It Ends with Us, directed by Justin Baldoni, sets an awkward tone from the outset. The film opens with an exchange between Lily Bloom (played by Blake Lively) and Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni himself). As they meet on Ryle’s apartment rooftop, he eagerly tries to learn Lily’s name. After a series of coy revelations, Lily reveals that all her names are flower-related. This self-aware and almost forced dialogue based on Christy Hall’s screenplay (following cues from Hoover’s writing) instantly provokes an eye-roll response. Instead of embracing the name as a charming quirk, the movie appears desperate to justify it, hinting at the underwhelming experience that follows.

Lily’s introduction to Ryle happens on the same day she attends her father’s funeral, emphasizing her troubled relationship with him. However, her immediate focus shifts to her dream of launching a flower store in Boston. With help from her friend Allysa (Jenny Slate), who happens to be Ryle’s sister, Lily refurbishes an old building for her shop. What begins as frequent, accidental encounters between Lily and Ryle soon turns into a passionate romance.

The narrative toggles between Lily’s present-day life and her past as a high schooler, portrayed by Isabela Ferrer. Back then, she had a significant relationship with a homeless teenager, Atlas (Alex Neustaedter), who reemerges in her life years later as a successful restaurant owner, now played by Brandon Sklenar. This reappearance coincides with a dark turn in Lily’s relationship with Ryle, who becomes physically abusive. Lily, who swore never to end up in a similar situation as her mother, who endured years with an abusive spouse, now finds herself trapped in a distressingly familiar nightmare.

Despite promotional materials suggesting a lighter tone, possibly influenced by Blake Lively’s partner Ryan Reynolds, It Ends with Us dives into heavy themes of abusive relationships and toxic masculinity. Similar stories have been tackled with nuance in films like Women Talking and Minding the Gap, but It Ends with Us fails to handle its weighty subject matter with the necessary emotional depth.

The combination of steamy romance and brutal abuse in the film is handled with a sense of detachment, resulting in an unsatisfying blend. Early scenes between Lily and Ryle lack the chemistry needed to make their romance believable. Their first meeting, set to an unremarkable soundtrack, lacks the intensity expected from a budding romance. The film’s cinematography and editing further fail to evoke the brewing passion between the characters, choosing generic settings that contribute little to the emotional atmosphere.

It Ends with Us also falters in its melodramatic elements. Characters are given tragic backstories that are superficially explored, and serious issues like homelessness, suicide, and child murder are treated as narrative buzzwords rather than deeply affecting conditions. Unlike The People’s Joker, which creatively explores transphobic trauma through unconventional storytelling, It Ends with Us remains visually and narratively uninspired.

The performances are equally unremarkable. Baldoni and Sklenar deliver forgettable portrayals, with Sklenar’s delivery of "get out of my restaurant!" offering unintended amusement. Lively, a competent actor, is given limited material to showcase her range. However, young Lily, played by Isabela Ferrer, convincingly mirrors Lively’s traits, thanks to spot-on casting.

The film’s visual priorities end up focusing excessively on women’s suffering, often graphically depicted on-screen. From Lily’s blackened eye to her frightened face during abusive encounters, these scenes dominate the screen. This approach lacks the subtlety seen in films like The Assistant, which confines the depiction of abuse to indirect aftermath, enhancing its emotional impact.

Other films, like Kokomo City and Martin Scorsese’s Who’s That Knocking at My Door, manage to tackle the torment of women through more innovative visual storytelling. These films concentrate on the emotional and psychological ramifications rather than just the physical acts of abuse, offering a deeper engagement with the subject matter.

While It Ends with Us does feature striking costume design by Eric Daman, with particularly memorable outfits for Allysa and Lily, these visual highlights don’t compensate for the film’s overall shortcomings. Ultimately, the movie’s treatment of its serious themes feels lackluster and fails to offer anything fresh or insightful.

It Ends with Us is far from being an enragingly bad film, but it doesn’t stand out either. Baldoni’s direction offers a generic take on a woman’s struggle with an abusive relationship, leaving the potential of its narrative largely unfulfilled.

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