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The Endless

Started by Custard, June 21, 2018, 02:35:57 PM

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Custard

From the blokes what wrote and directed the very good Spring and the also very good Resolution, Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, comes their latest tale of filmic strangeness, The Endless. A fantasy/horror/sci-fi

"Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3986820/ "

Currently sits at 6.7 on IMDB, but don't let that put you off, as you know, IMDB

It's "available", and I can't wait to check it out!

Replies From View

If the film literally never ended would you feel you had a right to complain that you had to leave the cinema while it was still going?  Or would you just die in there.

Malcy

Saw this somewhere the other day but palmed it off as low budget yank crap. Is it worth a watch then?

Junglist

Same guys who did Spring and Spring is amazing so probably yes

zomgmouse

I thought this was one of the best horror films I'd seen in years. Doing completely new stuff to the form. The levels of intricacy and awe on display are pretty sensational. Coupled with the fact that Benson and Moorhead do basically everything themselves. The way it sort of unravels from this meek friendship dramedy to some true terror beyond human comprehension is really masterful.

I urge you to watch Resolution before watching this. So much in this ties into it.

Custard

Yeah, really enjoyed this too.

Really well done on such a tiny budget, and I was gripped from start to finish

A really strange and inventive film, that probably needs a couple more watches to fully take in and appreciate, as so much is going on. Surprisingly funny in places, too

4 bags, and maybe a little compass to keep in your right breast-pocket

Small Man Big Horse

I really loved this, it's beautifully shot and the mystery is resolved in a very satisfying way, and I let out a huge gasp when the guys from Resolution turned up. I can't wait to see what these guys do next as I loved Spring a great deal too.

Junglist

I enjoyed it but much preferred it being more open ended than it was (more akin to Resolution). There's some stunning cinematography in there and some incredibly fun ideas but I felt it just limped at the end.

I did not get a sense of awe at all, despite the concept behind it.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Junglist on June 23, 2018, 12:35:26 AM
I enjoyed it but much preferred it being more open ended than it was (more akin to Resolution). There's some stunning cinematography in there and some incredibly fun ideas but I felt it just limped at the end.

I did not get a sense of awe at all, despite the concept behind it.

I felt the opposite concerning the ending, but horses for courses and all that. After a bit of googling I discovered they did a Reddit AMA for the film yesterday - https://www.reddit.com/comments/8sszba - and also that in all of the reviews of their films on the AV Club Justin Benson turns up in the comments section.

Junglist

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 23, 2018, 12:55:14 AM
I felt the opposite concerning the ending, but horses for courses and all that. After a bit of googling I discovered they did a Reddit AMA for the film yesterday - https://www.reddit.com/comments/8sszba - and also that in all of the reviews of their films on the AV Club Justin Benson turns up in the comments section.

Spoilered below as to why:

It was primarily the escape. I was with it all the way on the trek back to the camp and then 'the room' being unlocked and then nah, I didn't want that and it really didn't click for me. It felt like a cheap cop out considering everything going on with the other dudes, and I know it ties back to the equation and the moons but all along I felt as if this huge, terrifying threat was looming ready to literally go ballistic at the end, especially with the comments I'd seen on here, and elsewhere of awe/wtf. I didn't find the effects used, particularly the mirroring, that impressive.

Even if it had just ended when they hit the barrier, or you see an image begin to fall from the birds right at the very end, rather than a WOOOO FUCK YEAH. Unless I've clearly missed something.

zomgmouse

The ending was them still not knowing what the fuck was going on but still powering on into it, from memory, wasn't it? I read it as open-ended at least.

Custard

I took it as them seemingly "getting out", but maybe they haven't really. The "Inception Ending", if you will

Small Man Big Horse

Having read a fair few interviews with the directors it's meant to be a happy ending, with them definitely having escaped the entity. They also talk about doing another film in this universe, though it won't be for at least five years, if not longer.

Malcy

Right i'm off to download it. Cookdandbombd has spoken!

Avril Lavigne

I just finished Resolution in prep for watching The Endless, and while I enjoyed it I thought it was just good and not great and the twist reminded me of a similar thing I've seen done in a few other movies.  Is The Endless a whole different prospect or just a further development of the same style / themes / atmos?

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Avril Lavigne on June 23, 2018, 07:17:09 PM
I just finished Resolution in prep for watching The Endless, and while I enjoyed it I thought it was just good and not great and the twist reminded me of a similar thing I've seen done in a few other movies.  Is The Endless a whole different prospect or just a further development of the same style / themes / atmos?

Kind of the latter, but I felt the same way as you did with Resolution yet really enjoyed The Endless, it's a much better film.

Avril Lavigne

Quote from: Small Man Big Horse on June 23, 2018, 07:23:00 PM
Kind of the latter, but I felt the same way as you did with Resolution yet really enjoyed The Endless, it's a much better film.

Ah good, in that case I'll stay on course and check it out tonight once I'm good and sauced.

rasta-spouse

I've been eagerly anticipating this. I thought Resolution was good but I didn't like the ending. Spring really entertained me and I found it quite lovely. As someone mentioned above these guys are doing forward-thinking genre-bending stuff and its a delight to watch a movie that's so confidently done and genuinely not know where its going.

Sadly I just couldn't get into Endless. I didn't click with the characters or enjoy the weirdness (like the guy throwing the ball in the air), and I usually enjoy most weirdness. But I've found 2/3 of their films great, so I won't write them off just yet.

purlieu

Did a double bill of Resolution and this tonight. I can't imagine Resolution being completely satisfying on its own - a nice character film with some enjoyably creepy moments and an increasing amount of strangeness, but it really feels like it needs The Endless to give a bit more depth to what's going on. As a pair of films, though, I thought they were great. Some beautifully grounded, serious character stuff, some really hilarious bits - the Resolution cabin bit in The Endless was a highlight in this respect - and a big load of weirdness that's right up my street. I thought Spring was fantastic too, so I'm definitely going to be keeping an eye for these guys in the future.

Avril Lavigne

The Endless was okay, I was just hoping for something more surreal and unsettling, along the lines of A Field in England or Under The Skin.  Reviews I've read have thrown words like Lovecraftian, Lynchian, bizarre and mind-boggling around and I guess I was picturing a movie that lived up to those labels more strongly.

It was interesting & pulled off some neat ideas, and I liked the actors well enough, but overall it kinda felt like a good X-Files episode or something.


Custard

Just to say, the Blu-ray is out next week, and this limited edition has Resolution thrown in too!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07CPF7MNG/


zomgmouse

Thanks for the heads up! I don't usually buy stuff but I was enormously impressed with this and feel like it's worth it.

Howj Begg

#23
Quote from: Avril Lavigne on June 24, 2018, 03:20:04 PM
The Endless was okay, I was just hoping for something more surreal and unsettling, along the lines of A Field in England or Under The Skin.  Reviews I've read have thrown words like Lovecraftian, Lynchian, bizarre and mind-boggling around and I guess I was picturing a movie that lived up to those labels more strongly.

It was interesting & pulled off some neat ideas, and I liked the actors well enough, but overall it kinda felt like a good X-Files episode or something.

Yes. I read the same epithets you did and thought I fancy some of that. As you say, an extended X Files episode at best. Not cinematic in the slightest. Amateurish direction and photography. A few funny bits, mainly revolving around the brothers' relationship (which i did like to be fair), and the feller who blows his brains across his hog, he was great too. The rest of it was pish.

Mark Steels Stockbroker

Watching this now, at the 50 minute mark, beardy brother has just spoken to Crying Woman Who Leaves The Notes.

Right I reckon:

It's a weird timeloopy thing, that's why we saw angry man pacing away down the entrance twice, also the fashion designer woman made the comment implying the other brother had died, because he had, she's on  alater part of the narrative than the younger brother. The newspapers that the video was wrapped in are significant, and quite probably the "deprogramming" session was something different, the 2 men are agents being trained to go into the cult.

Mark Steels Stockbroker

In conclusion, I was mostly correct.

Howj Begg

My conclusion: this was bro-fi, like Primer. The most coherent theme running through it, as far as I could see, was hey these guys can't get girls/fit into "msm" life . This can be easily adapted to: hey, maybe we can't get girls because we've been brought up in a cult, eh? Think about. Try the red pill"

Gregory Torso

I really loved this, big fan of these two since seeing Resolution and was thrilled to see how this ties in with that film. I liked the ending too, was expecting ( them to find they were still trapped in a loop and it's nice to have an upbeat ending every once in a while ) . Only thing I felt a bit let down by, was ( not really seeing "it" apart from some swirling mashing up effects, not that I want a big monster or anything, just could've been a bit more there. )

Also, ( the bloke trapped in his tent on a three second splatter loop for all time ) really freaked me out.

Small Man Big Horse

Quote from: Howj Begg on July 02, 2018, 11:47:19 PM
Yes. I read the same epithets you did and thought I fancy some of that. As you say, an extended X Files episode at best. Not cinematic in the slightest. Amateurish direction and photography. A few funny bits, mainly revolving around the brothers' relationship (which i did like to be fair), and the feller who blows his brains across his hog, he was great too. The rest of it was pish.

I can see why you might not like it for most of the reasons you list, but I don't agree with you on it having amateurish directing and photography, I thought it was tightly directed and often looked really beautiful.

Howj Begg

Fair enough. I actually think, in diametric opposition to you, that Resolution is the far superior film. It sunstains genuine tension and drama in a way this doesn't.