The End We Start From

I knew almost nothing about "The End We Start From" when I booked my ticket, no trailer, no poster even, it just worked out timewise so I took the plunge. Whilst the performances were pretty good, I'm less convinced of the point of the actual story.

A couple (Jodie Comer and Joel Fry) have a baby, just as the UK is in the early stages of an ecological crisis. Months of ongoing rainfall leave much of the country underwater and make the low-lying towns and cities uninhabitable. They travel north, to the home of the parents of Fry's character (Mark Strong and Nina Sosanya) but as the rain continues to fall, their supplies dwindle, and the population slowly begins to get desperate.

I'd say I appreciated the film, more than I actually liked it. It's dragged along by another virtuosa performance from Jodie Comer, who is in virtually every scene. She's ably supported by Fry though, who abandons his usual comedic turns for something altogether more haunted. The really strong supporting cast also include roles for Katherine Waterston, Gina McKee and a cameo from Benedict Cumberbatch. It's a very British version of this sort of story and the scenes of London devastation brought to mind "28 Days Later". You can tell how serious things are becoming when we won't form an orderly queue for emergency supplies.

I'm not really sure what it was in service of though. I feel like there must be a bigger theme that I'm missing, I suspect that it's perhaps loss and coping mechanisms, as we're told later in the film that Comer's characters parents recently passed away, and she's not really dealt with it. Generally, the story feels like a largely unconnected series of vignettes though and it was, for me, lacking some moment of ultimate revelation. I wonder if, in the book, it's easier to tie a connection between the commune's decision to abandon life as it was, in comparison to her decision to have a baby as way of dealing with her parents' death. Maybe I'm way off though.

So, lots to admire about this, but not a whole lot to love and I can't imagine that I'll ever see the need to watch it again.

With a fairly biblical storm raging outside, an heavily pregnant mother (Jodie Comer) is sitting at home watching the telly. Power goes out, waters break then the struggle to get boyfriend (Joel Fry) and ambulance to hospital is the start of their woes. Leaving, they discover that huge swathes of England are under water so they head to higher ground and his parents. Fortunately, they have had a long ridiculed bit of a siege mentality so there's plenty of food but that's about all as the family units begin to disintegrate, just as society is doing at large elsewhere. The couple become separated and the un-named mother must now find safety for herself and her baby until some form of normality returns. This is another hugely emotional effort from Comer with Fry, a fleetingly potent contribution from Benedict Cumberbatch and a strong role for new-found friend Katherine Waterson working well, too. The story though - well it reminded me a little of "Children of Men" (2006). A rather depressing and dreary chronology - augmented with some flashbacks of happier days - of how individuals deal with disaster, be they self induced or imposed, and I struggled to remain engaged as the narrative lumbered along. The direction and the score are also fairly lacklustre. One too many shots of cars driving along, of mother carrying baby, cheering baby, nursing baby - and talking of the baby, boy does it age! If it's meant to be a very personal, intimate even, indictment of mankind's inhumanity to itself when facing desperation then it just about works, anything else was rather wasted on me, I'm afraid.

Far better than the reviews suggest, this is a well made indie climate fiction road movie in a similar style to 28 Days Later and Children of Men. But unlike those two excellent films, this is a character driven and a more ambient experience. It still follows a linear plot and is not what I would describe as overly art house (think Terrence Mallick) but I can understand why it might be a little slow and non-immediate for some. But it is a beautifully shot movie with great performances and a standout turn by the excellent Jodie Comer, who displays believable strength and vulnerability in a story that steers clear of contrivance, cliche, and convenience.

The End We Start From hadn't been on my radar before and the trailer didn't give a huge amount away. I had no expectations but it wasn't a bad little film. It had a made for TV style and was clearly produced on a low budget. If you are expecting epic disaster or dramatic dystopian events then you will be disappointed. If you enjoyed 28 Days Later or How I Live Now then The End We Start From should be an enjoyable watch for you, although both those films are better than this. Jodie Comer is quite captivating but I feel like her big starring film role is yet to come. Luckily it wasn't overlong so it didn't drag on.

Like all the best disaster movies, The End We Start From understands that the most important aspect is making sure you care about the people who are trying to survive this possible apocalypse. Whilst it has its fair share of bleak moments, showing how quickly and violently civilisation can crumble, it's ultimately a hopeful disaster movie.

Jodie Comer is absolutely phenomenal in her finest cinematic showcase to date. She displays a whole range of emotions from the unbridled joy of having a child to the fear of never feeling truly safe in a constantly changing environment whilst having a really beautiful friendship with a super likeable Catherine Waterston. Her chemistry with Joel Fry is also endearing.

Mahalia Belo's direction can show the brutality of this changed world without wallowing in misery. The scale is pretty impressive, especially considering the low budget and it ends on a final shot that makes the whole thing coalesce. The score by Anna Meredith really stands out because it doesn't sound like anything else in the genre. It's so modern and understated.