Hey folks, Jesse here and I want to tell you about The Endless. The horror/suspense/sci-fi movie comes to us from the creative minds of Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson. Aaron and Justin co-directed and also starred in this film. I’ve noticed other positive reviews for this movie so I’m not alone in thinking this film was innovative, genre-bending and highly entertaining. I’ll try not to give too much away is this review so you can experience the mystery of The Endless for yourself.
Alright then, I’ve got some time to spare so let’s talk more about it.
Co-filmmakers Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson have worked together before. If you’re a fan of the genre horror movie than you have probably seen either Spring or Retribution or both. Those are great movies too, so check them out when you get a chance. I went into this movie hopeful since I enjoyed the others quite a bit. This one didn’t disappoint and it has been my favorite so far. The filmmakers play brothers named Aaron and Justin. About 10 years ago, they escaped a cult and have been trying to adjust to the real world. Things have not been looking the brightest for them and the struggle seems real. Aaron mysteriously receives a video beckoning them to return. The story begins as Aaron convinces Justin to go back so they can unravel the mystery and tie up loose ends to the past.
In this movie, you’ll hear the term “alien death cult”. These are the guys that wait for a certain astrological event and then they all commit mass suicide to join there beloved alien overlords.
History is full of these people and sure, maybe some of them are on planetary adventures but… probably not. Their visit back is a bit foreboding with stories like that in mind so the audience can put it’s guard up when they arrive. It’s evident the two have a strong relationship and Aaron puts a lot of trust in Justin to make the right decisions for the both of them. It plays out well and the actors have great chemistry together. In fact, the whole cast was great in this. There were some memorable side characters and the movie ended up with a pretty good sense of humor.
The mystery unveils slowly. We learn pieces of the whole story with bits of information that reveal the truth of the camp. I thought the revealing of what they were truly up against was done really well. It didn’t feel forced and I never felt confused by the plot. This can happen sometimes in these types of movies. Sometimes filmmakers layer subtext that can’t be found by the audience and you’re left confused. I never felt that way watching this one. Everything fits and the film feels complete as the whole package. Don’t go into seeing the movie thinking that it’s just an “alien death camp” horror movie. It’s a mix of things. It’s got sci-fi, a compelling story, and self-discovery. I enjoyed watching it and I’ll probably watch it again at some point to pick up the things I may have missed.
The sound and score of the movie were pretty solid. The score set the scenes just right. Especially in a scene near the during a really intense chase scene. There was a lot of need for interesting sound effects and they came up with some great sounds too. The sound guys really pulled off some great effects when something sinister reveals itself from deep in the woods.
The cinematography was well executed and I really like the general aesthetic of the background setting. It takes place in the woods and the lush scenery is captured perfectly. The setting around camp is serene at first but then becomes a potential never-ending nightmare. The big reveal of what’s behind all the terrorizing in the woods comes across really well visually and the rest of the effects are on par with a movie like Annihilation.
Overall it’s clear to see that I was a big fan of The Endless. It kept a steady pace of filling you dread and when everything’s said and done it’s a race to survive. I can’t really think of anything that I would want to be changed. It’s a fun experience and it’s got a great cast of characters. If you haven’t had the chance to check it out then you probably should. If you don’t see it in the theaters than be sure to look for it when it goes On Demand or it might be on Shudder at some point. I know you can find the other movies (Spring, Resolution) by these guys there.
Alright, that’s it for now. Check back soon. I’ll be taking a look at some more movies and I want to tell you about those ones too. This might The Endless review but it’s not an endless review. Check out the film in theaters now!
The end.
