[Review] I'm Thinking Of Ending Things(2020) {6.5/10}

Written and directed by Charlie Kaufman, the film stars Jesse Plemons (Jake), Toni Collette (mother), David Thewlis (father), Guy Boyd (janitor) and Jessie Buckley (young woman). It is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name by Iain Reid.

The plot follows a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who accompanies her boyfriend, Jake (Jesse Plemons), to visit his parents on their farm in I'm Thinking of Ending Things. She's questioning the rationale for making this trip when she's already considering calling off their relationship, and the two do seem a mismatched pair. On a snowy drive out of the city, they struggle to find topics to talk about naturally, and we start to get the sense something isn't right. Details about her own life start to get fuzzy, and the farm, which feels stuck in time, adds to her unease. Jake's parents begin to age and then grow younger practically in front of her eyes. She finally convinces Jake to leave, in a near blizzard, but it's not at all clear she'll make it back to the city or to the life she was leading until now.

This is a highly esoteric film that will surely find its fans, but could also feel too talky, too strange, and too confusing for many others. The twisting plot and myriad cultural references and internal clues may excite some viewers and send them down Reddit rabbit holes to dissect it all, but they require patience and attention. Writer-director Charlie Kaufman seems to drop hints about the film's meaning without actually explaining anything. "There is no objective reality." "I guess that's what one hopes for when one writes things, universality in the specific." Watching too many movies is a "societal malady." "It's all planned, yet it isn't thought out." I'm Thinking of Ending Things ponders the bending of time, the glorification of youth and beauty, the relevance of poetry in our lives, feminist readings of classic films and songs, dating and relationships, political correctness, and, if you can believe it, more. Also, it may suggest hell is high school, or maybe watching a high school musical. Despite all that, you get the sense that the film is more about a mood (an ominous malaise, also skillfully captured visually) than a clear message. The talented lead actors, Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, take their roles seriously and keep you engaged, which is lucky considering there are 20-minute sequences of just them talking in a car. Toni Toni Collette and David Thewlis are perfect as the weirdo parents. Still, you may find yourself wishing Kaufman had ended things, meaning, this two hour plus movie, a little sooner.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things is now available on Netflix.