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The Endless (film)

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The Endless
Theatrical release poster
Directed byJustin Benson
Aaron Moorhead
Written byJustin Benson
Produced byJustin Benson
Thomas R. Burke
David Lawson Jr.
Aaron Moorhead
Leal Naim
StarringJustin Benson
Aaron Moorhead
Callie Hernandez
Tate Ellington
Lew Temple
James Jordan
CinematographyAaron Moorhead
Edited byMichael Felker
Justin Benson
Aaron Moorhead
Music byJimmy Lavalle
Production
companies
Snowfort Pictures
Love & Death Productions
Pfaff & Pfaff Productions
Distributed byWell Go USA Entertainment
Release dates
Running time
111 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$313,264[2]

The Endless is a 2017 American science fiction horror film directed, produced by and starring Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead. Benson also wrote the film, while Moorhead acted as cinematographer; both also acted as editors. It premiered on April 21, 2017 at the Tribeca Film Festival, before being released nationwide on April 6, 2018.

Co-starring Callie Hernandez, Tate Ellington, Lew Temple and James Jordan, the film tells the story of two brothers (Benson and Moorhead) who visit an alleged cult they formerly belonged to. The Endless may be interpreted as a partial sequel to Benson and Moorhead's 2012 film Resolution, as it appears to share the same universe and some plot points.[3][4]

Plot

Brothers Justin and Aaron receive a videocassette in the mail made by Camp Arcadia, a group they formerly belonged to as young adults. Justin and Aaron's recollection of events differ; Justin says the group was a UFO death cult, but Aaron recalls them as a harmless and friendly commune. Aaron points out that the videocassette proves the members are still alive. Justin, however, is worried that talk of "ascension" may be a code for some future mass suicide. Fed up with their inability to make friends or find good jobs since leaving Camp Arcadia, Aaron convinces Justin to return for just one day.

Justin and Aaron receive a friendly welcome at Camp Arcadia. None of the members seem to have aged in the decade since the brothers left. Anna and Lizzy take an interest in Aaron and Justin, respectively. Although Aaron welcomes the attention, Justin stays aloof from everyone but his brother. One of the members, Hal, excitedly shows Justin a physics equation he has been working on. He says that he can not explain what it represents, as it would be akin to describing an impossible colour. However, he hopes that Justin will eventually accept the group's beliefs now that he is older. As they partake in various activities, Aaron grows increasingly fond of his time at Camp Arcadia, and he convinces Justin to stay an additional day.

During one activity, members attempt to win a tug-of-war against a rope that ascends into the dark night sky. Justin says it is held by a member on a ladder but can not explain how he loses when everyone else is present. The brothers separately notice increasingly weird occurrences. While exploring the woods, Justin becomes convinced an invisible entity is observing him, and it leaves him a photograph of a buoy. When Justin presses Hal for answers, Hal admits that he knows no more than anyone else. His physics equation is his interpretation of what is happening, and he encourages Justin to find his own answers by following the entity's clues. Two moons rise in the sky. Hal tells Justin to come to a conclusion before a third rises.

Justin and Aaron go fishing. When Justin sees the buoy from the photograph, he dives into the water. He returns with a toolbox and says he saw a monster. When they open the toolbox, they find a tape. Freaked out by the strange events and ostentatious clues, Justin insists they leave immediately. At the camp, Hal and Justin get into an argument after Hal plays the tape, which is a recording of Justin and Aaron misrepresenting Camp Arcadia to outsiders. Justin calls Hal a cult leader, and Hal says Justin made up lurid stories to tell the press about Camp Arcadia. Outraged that Justin was misleading him, too, Aaron refuses to leave. Justin's car does not start, and he leaves to find help.

Justin encounters several people stuck in time loops, most of whom repeatedly experience their own violent deaths for the amusement of the entity. They explain that the entity has trapped them, and he will become trapped, too, once the third moon rises. Justin finds Aaron, who has come looking for him. Justin explains their danger, but Aaron still wants to stay behind, as he can not stand to return to his old life. Aaron reasons that experiencing death at the hands of the entity, which is considered a sacred ritual by the cult, would be better than menial jobs and not having friends. When Justin admits he was wrong to force Aaron into this lifestyle, Aaron becomes hopeful that their life can improve and agrees to leave. As the entity destroys the camp, the brothers barely escape. Justin advises Aaron to refill the gas tank, and Aaron says that the car's gas tank has always been empty.

Cast

Release

The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, 2017.[1] On May 1, 2017, Well Go USA Entertainment acquired distribution rights to the film.[5] The film was released on April 6, 2018, by Well Go USA Entertainment.[6]

Critical reception

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 95% based on 100 reviews and an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "The Endless benefits from its grounded approach to an increasingly bizarre story, elevated by believable performances by filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead."[7] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100 based on 18 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[8]

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 1/2 stars, stating, "If you have a good idea, a strong cast, a smart script, and directorial chops, you don't need a lot of money to make a compelling movie. The Endless is proof."[9]

Horror novelist and podcaster Brian Keene praised the film on social media, Tweeting "The Endless is a true horror masterpiece — a David Lynch meets Stuart Gordon meets Don Coscarelli fever dream of Lovecraftian cosmic horror that demands repeated viewings."[10]

References

  1. ^ a b Debruge, Peter (May 3, 2017). "'The Endless' Review: Eerie Return to a UFO Death Cult". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  2. ^ "The Endless (2018)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
  3. ^ Millican, Josh (April 18, 2018). "Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead Discuss The Endless, Resolution, and Red Marijuana". Dread Central. Dread Central Media. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  4. ^ Mobarak, Jared (May 2, 2018). "Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson on Creating the World of 'The Endless'". The Film Stage. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  5. ^ Busch, Anita (May 1, 2017). "'The Endless' Acquired For Distribution Out Of Tribeca By Well Go USA". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved August 4, 2017.
  6. ^ Collis, Clark (March 1, 2018). "'The Endless': Two brothers revisit a cult in trailer for horror-thriller The Endless". Entertainment Weekly. Time. Retrieved April 9, 2018.
  7. ^ "The Endless (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
  8. ^ "The Endless Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 16, 2018.
  9. ^ Zoller-Seitz, Matt (April 6, 2018). "The Endless". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved April 13, 2018.
  10. ^ "Twitter". Brian Keene. Twitter. Retrieved July 8, 2018.
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