Like all of Kaufman's work I'm Thinking of Ending Things simply doesn't tell its viewer what's actually happening, it offers open interpretations to each. After the first act, much of the film is ambiguous and dream like. The scenes are long and dialogue heavy throughout the film. Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons are exceptional as the film's lead actors but it was the supporting actors David Thewlis and Toni Collette who were at the top of their game.
The premise of the movie is about a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who thinks about ending her relationship with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons). The film walks towards that path for the first hour of the film until Kaufman starts to mess with our brains by exploring age, time and ambition in a way most of us don't see. The movie is set in the midst of a snowstorm giving the creepy mood. The score is so similar to what we hear in horrors and the production design and makeup is top notch. The production design essentially makes is question the timeline of the film.
The film from my point of view explores the themes nihilism, essentialism and hedonism in multiple scenes. The ice cream scene in Tulsey Town captures the very nature of hedonism present in humans so beautifully, its the best scene of the film. Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons look like they are caught in a debate between existentialism and nihilism throughout the film. Without spoiling the ending, I feel the film shows 2 different ways the life could have ended up for Jake.
Jessie Buckley, David Thewlis and Toni Collette are bound to be front runners in the acting category this awards season. Other than that this film could get nominations for its sound editing, soundtrack, cinematography, production design and screenplay. I'm Thinking of Ending Things is one of the few films more suited to a small screen release instead of a theatrical one.
