It Ends With Us (2024) Review!!

Synopsis – Adapted from the Colleen Hoover novel, Lily overcomes a traumatic childhood to embark on a new life. A chance meeting with a neurosurgeon sparks a connection but Lily begins to see sides of him that remind her of her parents’ relationship.

My Take – Films about domestic abuse (or any abuse for that matter) are hard to watch. However, that is not the case of this adaption of author Colleen Hoover’s best-selling 2016 novel, which in the hands of its star and director Justin Baldoni (Five Feet Apart) is handled in a very light manner.

Charmingly framed as a romance, particularly for its main character, the film tries to balance the realities of domestic violence as a journey of love, loss, and self-discovery. Yes, it’s dicey, distressing material, but the screenplay from Christy Hall (Daddio) handles it sensitively and without any sensationalism, respecting its characters, even those causing harm.

Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect from this adaption, and at 130 minutes feel a tad too long. A tighter narrative focus would have indeed created a more intense experience, as the emotional intensity sometimes borders on excessive melodrama, which may alienate some viewers, particularly the non-readers crowd.

Nonetheless, it is a well-intentioned film that despite relying on familiar tropes and occasionally simplistic dialogue, raises important issues, and serves as a starting point for conversations about domestic violence and its devastating consequences.

Add to that it’s gorgeous star and co-producer Blake Lively whose instinctive and heartfelt portrayal ensures that its themes of self-acceptance and love are delivered with genuine grace.

The story follows Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), an aspiring florist, who has just headed back to her new home in Boston, following her attendance at her father’s funeral. Still reeling from having mixed feelings about his death, Lily finds spark in a random meeting with a handsome neurosurgeon called Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni).

While they quickly connect, she rebuffs his advances as Ryle is looking for something more casual. Lily instead chooses to shift her focus towards breaking into the city’s florist business by buying a beat-up old storefront, which she renovates and transforms into a flower shop with a lavishly ornate shabby-chic aesthetic, with the help of Allysa (Jenny Slate), a bored housewife who Lily hires, and the two become instantly close.

Soon she is introduced to Allysa’s husband, Marshall (Hasan Minhaj), and her brother, that as it turns out happens to be Ryle. As the both reconnect, the two quickly also become romantically involved.

But as the relationship develops she is reminded of her high school days, when Lily (Isabela Ferrer) had gotten involved with Atlas Corrigan (Alex Neustaedter), a sensitive classmate who was squatting in an abandoned building across the street from her family’s house. And just like that one day when Atlas (Brandon Sklenar) reemerges, Lily is forced to confront her past, and face up to the traumas of the present.

Without a doubt, this is a good-looking motion picture. Director Baldoni and cinematographer Barry Peterson know how to frame faces in flattering medium close-ups, allowing every nuanced emotion, every twinkle in their eyes to transport the viewers on this emotional journey with them.

And his direction is good, with an ability to summarize scenes quickly and move the plot elegantly, although he does seem to have a fondness for too many music-led montages. But unlike other romances, this is a story of how people repeat bad patterns in their lives, even when they don’t realize it. And the way it is conveyed is quite emotionally shrewd.

In the sense it doesn’t arrive with loud warning bells. While most films would quickly ramp up to such violence, this one shows how seemingly accidental moments of aggression can slowly build into a pattern and increase in intensity before the victim realizes what’s happening.

In fact, the first time Lily is injured, resulting in a bruised eye she attempts to conceal with makeup, the event is presented as an accident triggered by a scuffle to remove a burned frittata from the oven. It could happen to anyone. But the second incident is more clear-cut, and the third is unequivocally violent. Still, you look at Ryle, as Lily seems to, as possibly fixable. He’s suffering; his inner turmoil is causing him to act out. The film is accurate and effective in this sense: for so many abused women, you never know how bad it can get, until it gets really bad.

However, I do think that there could have been more development of Ryle’s background. While Lily’s complex portrayal of a survivor grappling with trust issues is very good, Ryle’s character arc feels somewhat underdeveloped. I think it’s is a shame given that there has been little focus in our society on the motivations and histories of males who perpetrate violence. Sure, it does provide some insight into an event in Ryle’s history, but it comes a little too late.

As mentioned earlier, the film rests on Blake Lively’s shoulders and she makes it work by delivering a remarkably warm and engaging turn, skillfully anchoring narrative and making it genuinely compelling. Justin Baldoni too perfectly balances menace and seduction, operating in the zone between assertive and psychotic. The pair share some real, intense chemistry, both actors wildly charming and charismatic when they need to be.

Brandon Sklenar is both distinct and effective. In supporting roles, Hasan Minhaj is likable, while Jenny Slate brought the much-needed vitality and humor to the story. Isabela Ferrer and Alex Neustaedter are excellent as Young Lily Bloom & Young Atlas Corrigan. On the whole, ‘It Ends with Us’ is a charming romantic drama with a refreshingly frank