Every generation deserves its own postgrad malaise movie. Not every attempt is going to be "The Graduate" or "Frances Ha," but even when they're mediocre, they're also often a pure expression from a young filmmaker about what their contemporaries are feeling at that exact moment. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Associated Press.

Though the details may change — the clothes, the hairstyles, the gadgets, the soundtrack — the vibe kind of stays the same even in a high concept horror like "It Ends," in which four friends find themselves on an endless road to nowhere. It's kind of reassuring, unlike, say, the encroaching doom of adulthood.

The filmmaker and his inspiration

"It Ends" was written and directed by Alexander Ullom, who graduated from college during the pandemic and is open about how he struggled with dissociative depression. You don't need to know this to watch the film, but it makes sense once you've met James (Phinehas Yoon). He's the rational and inquisitive one whose seen-it-all-already jadedness about his future is its own kind of poison.

Somehow, however, he hasn't alienated his high school friends. They still like him enough to help him move into his new apartment (which is, by all accounts, super depressing). We meet them as they all cram into a white Jeep Cherokee to find some food. Tyler (Mitchell Cole) is driving, and Fisher (Noah Toth) is leading a spirited discussion about which animals they'd pick to defend them (10,000 rats, 50 hawks, one man with a gun, or five gorillas etc., etc.). It was, apparently, a popular meme for a time. Day (Akira Jackson) is navigating with her phone's maps app and wondering whether she could choose gorillas trained to use guns as a loophole.

Characters and their differences

Tyler is the outlier in this group, the one who didn't go to college. He went into the military and has been working for some time in HVAC. He's even talking about wanting to get married sooner rather than later. And he's the only one with a discernable Southern accent (they're apparently in Florida).

The others are all just out of college and really feeling it. Day is ambling around on job search sites, trying to put her graphic design degree to use. Each of them is trying to find their way, but the future seems uncertain.

The film's meaning

"It Ends" is not just a horror film; it's a deep reflection on the existential crisis of the younger generation. Ullom conveys the feelings of young people living in a post-pandemic world through his film. Their road is a metaphor for their lives: a road that leads nowhere, but you can't stop.

The film's atmosphere is gloomy, but there is a ray of hope. The friends rely on each other, trying to overcome difficulties together. It's a balance between loneliness and unity, hope and hopelessness.

Conclusion

"It Ends" is a portrait of modern youth, a film about their fears and dreams. It shows feelings familiar to everyone: uncertainty about the future, the need to find one's place. The film makes you think and empathize with the characters. It is a sincere and deep work by a young director that gives voice to his generation.