Slow start, but the end made it kind of worth it.
This is the style of film that you want to follow to see how it concludes. There is an eerie vibe throughout and the dialogue itself makes this movie interesting. If you like films which involve cults then you will be interested enough to watch this, although there's more to its story then just a cult. I did like the fact that the protagonists are also the directors/writers of the film, it gives an extra touch to their acting. 7/10, a low budget film that delivers.
369 Reviews
Different and interesting
askanade19 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
There are no cut and dried answers here, just a mystery and a happening that defies logic but makes you feel that it just might happen somewhere unknown to anyone. What is really happening at this cult, why are some people behaving so strangely, what is the past that has pulled the two brothers back to make sense of it all.
I liked the movie, the acting and the flow is good and the tempo maintained till the end. The theme of living life in a loop where one day is very much like the other is intriguing but the possibility that some alien intelligence is making it happen leaving no way to escape such a fate seems a little depressing.
But finally it is a different movie, well made and so different than the standard SciFi genre that it is worth a watch.
I liked the movie, the acting and the flow is good and the tempo maintained till the end. The theme of living life in a loop where one day is very much like the other is intriguing but the possibility that some alien intelligence is making it happen leaving no way to escape such a fate seems a little depressing.
But finally it is a different movie, well made and so different than the standard SciFi genre that it is worth a watch.
A must-see for fans of the warping of time and space
dfranzen7018 October 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Two grown brothers, who escaped a cult when they were kids, receive a video from same cult, enticing them to return. The older Justin (Justin Benson) has vivid and terrible memories of their time with the group, but younger Aaron (Aaron Moorhead)has just hazy memories of pleasant times. So, despite Justin's wishes, the two do in fact return to the compound they left a decade earlier. But why are they being summoned back? Are their lives (again) in danger? Or has the cult changed into just being another Northern California commune? When the brothers arrive in the middle of nowhere, they find the de facto leader Hal (Tate Ellington), who explains that the group has prospered in the years since Aaron and Justin left. Their primary source of income? Homemade beer. Very hipster. The members of the small commune/cult each have their own special skill, whether it's painting, knitting, magic tricks. The list is pretty finite, actually.
But it isn't too long before things get a little unsettling. No spoilers here; the cult believes there is an all-powerful deity who exists only for them – i.e., not a God from any other religion. This entity sends the group messages via cassette tapes and Polaroid photos. The group members pass this all off as normal; to be truthful, I found their happiness to be a bit unsettling. But Aaron, the younger/more impressionable of the brothers, wants to believe and is definitely looking for some structure in his life after a decade of menial jobs and no real direction. His wiser brother Justin, is strongly skeptical, but certain events do make him question his own sense of righteousness.
So this seems like a pretty straightforward story, doesn't it? Maybe there's something to the cult's thinking, maybe they're really just harmlessly living off the grid. But then a few somethings happen, and the movie switches from being about a crazed cult into being about, well, the neverending loop of reality. And that's when the movie really takes off. I'm talking about mindbending twists and some terrific special effects. Just like that, the plot zooms from just sort of floating about, intriguing but not enticing, and then it blasts into overdrive. And suddenly nothing makes sense, and everything makes sense. It's a huge trip.
For that reason, I really enjoyed this movie, the third I saw at this year's Spooky Movie International Film Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Endless was written by Benson and directed by Benson and Moorhead, and they score with all aspects of their work here. If you're looking for a distorted-reality movie, check out The Endless.
But it isn't too long before things get a little unsettling. No spoilers here; the cult believes there is an all-powerful deity who exists only for them – i.e., not a God from any other religion. This entity sends the group messages via cassette tapes and Polaroid photos. The group members pass this all off as normal; to be truthful, I found their happiness to be a bit unsettling. But Aaron, the younger/more impressionable of the brothers, wants to believe and is definitely looking for some structure in his life after a decade of menial jobs and no real direction. His wiser brother Justin, is strongly skeptical, but certain events do make him question his own sense of righteousness.
So this seems like a pretty straightforward story, doesn't it? Maybe there's something to the cult's thinking, maybe they're really just harmlessly living off the grid. But then a few somethings happen, and the movie switches from being about a crazed cult into being about, well, the neverending loop of reality. And that's when the movie really takes off. I'm talking about mindbending twists and some terrific special effects. Just like that, the plot zooms from just sort of floating about, intriguing but not enticing, and then it blasts into overdrive. And suddenly nothing makes sense, and everything makes sense. It's a huge trip.
For that reason, I really enjoyed this movie, the third I saw at this year's Spooky Movie International Film Festival in Silver Spring, Maryland. The Endless was written by Benson and directed by Benson and Moorhead, and they score with all aspects of their work here. If you're looking for a distorted-reality movie, check out The Endless.
Rather good to be honest.
Sleepin_Dragon28 March 2019
I'm almost pained to watch ant film that has the tag of horror on it, as the results are so often a disappointment. The Endless however, had something I've longed for, and a level of originality that seems so rare these days
You can see it isn't exactly huge budget, but that arguably helped, a reliance more so on acring and story, rather then on mind blowing special effects. Admittedly a few scenes looked a but poor, notably the appearance of the Mountain Lion, but others such as the rope, looked great.
I loved the concept of the film, and that it left us wondering so many points. Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson did a great job.
I really enjoyed it. 7/10
You can see it isn't exactly huge budget, but that arguably helped, a reliance more so on acring and story, rather then on mind blowing special effects. Admittedly a few scenes looked a but poor, notably the appearance of the Mountain Lion, but others such as the rope, looked great.
I loved the concept of the film, and that it left us wondering so many points. Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson did a great job.
I really enjoyed it. 7/10
Interesting, but not exciting.
Top_Dawg_Critic28 June 2018
The writing had flaws and the acting by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead was too stale (they should've just stuck to directing). The 111 min run time felt like 180 mins. The pace should have been faster and the film edited down to 90 mins max. The Directing and cinematography however was very good and the overall story concept was interesting. Sure it's a low budget film, but most of the flaws wouldn't cost much to avoid/fix. It's a 6/10 from me.
Niche Following Potential
augustkellerwrites4 June 2018
The Endless is a film that is easy to get pulled into due to the variety of its techniques and the intention of its direction. A daunting atmosphere is created almost instantly with ominous scoring and dramatic transitions from scene to scene. Tensions rise as the plot carefully creeps along and the cast is given room to hit notes as diverse as comedic and horrifying. However, while the craft of this movie may be clear, the drawbacks are clear as well.
Some jokes fall flat, some characters feel incomplete, and some effects look weak. The Endless gives so many gifts but, unfortunately, it delivers some misses as well. Lightly peppered throughout the existential themes and sprawling imagery are cheesy lines and forced plot points, which leaves the whole thing feeling like a slightly missed opportunity. Superb sound, pacing and direction make The Endless a fascinating film from the drop but it all comes with enough miscalculations that the tonal integrity may be questioned by some. The result is a film that has potential to form a niche following but receive some mixed reviews from the general public.
Writing: 7/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 5/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 5/10 Casting: 5/10 Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 7.1/10
Some jokes fall flat, some characters feel incomplete, and some effects look weak. The Endless gives so many gifts but, unfortunately, it delivers some misses as well. Lightly peppered throughout the existential themes and sprawling imagery are cheesy lines and forced plot points, which leaves the whole thing feeling like a slightly missed opportunity. Superb sound, pacing and direction make The Endless a fascinating film from the drop but it all comes with enough miscalculations that the tonal integrity may be questioned by some. The result is a film that has potential to form a niche following but receive some mixed reviews from the general public.
Writing: 7/10 Direction: 8/10 Cinematography: 8/10 Acting: 5/10 Editing: 8/10 Sound: 9/10 Score/Soundtrack: 7/10 Production Design: 5/10 Casting: 5/10 Effects: 7/10
Overall Score: 7.1/10
A Defining Film of 2017
gavin694222 April 2017
Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.
This film is more clever than it first appears, because it operates on at least two levels. On the surface, it is a taut, well-crafted horror story about a (possible) "death cult". We have some mysterious rituals, a missing husband, and seemingly silly camp activities that may – or may not – have a darker purpose.
Some of this is vaguely alluded to in the opening quote from H. P. Lovecraft, and further still during the lake "reveal". The scare quotes here are just because what is revealed at this moment is entirely up to the imaginations of the viewer. A certain Lovecraft story may provide a guide, or it may be merely a coincidence or red herring. But once the big reveal comes, everything goes dark, and the suspense truly becomes horror.
The subcutaneous level is focused on a theme: the truth of religion, either this one or religion in general. Though this film really only explores the reality of one (fictional) religion, it does make us wonder: what if some religions we find strange are actually right? With so many religions in the world, it is certainly possible that one or more are correct. And if the strangest ones might be right, we ought to question our own beliefs: do we believe correctly? With so many choices, it is hard to say for sure.
Though this deeper meaning may not have been intentional, it nevertheless exists and makes the film even more interesting. The filmmakers previously had a hit with "Resolution" (2012), but all signs point to "The Endless" being an even bigger success. The film played at Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, and will no doubt be seen by a wider audience throughout 2017.
This film is more clever than it first appears, because it operates on at least two levels. On the surface, it is a taut, well-crafted horror story about a (possible) "death cult". We have some mysterious rituals, a missing husband, and seemingly silly camp activities that may – or may not – have a darker purpose.
Some of this is vaguely alluded to in the opening quote from H. P. Lovecraft, and further still during the lake "reveal". The scare quotes here are just because what is revealed at this moment is entirely up to the imaginations of the viewer. A certain Lovecraft story may provide a guide, or it may be merely a coincidence or red herring. But once the big reveal comes, everything goes dark, and the suspense truly becomes horror.
The subcutaneous level is focused on a theme: the truth of religion, either this one or religion in general. Though this film really only explores the reality of one (fictional) religion, it does make us wonder: what if some religions we find strange are actually right? With so many religions in the world, it is certainly possible that one or more are correct. And if the strangest ones might be right, we ought to question our own beliefs: do we believe correctly? With so many choices, it is hard to say for sure.
Though this deeper meaning may not have been intentional, it nevertheless exists and makes the film even more interesting. The filmmakers previously had a hit with "Resolution" (2012), but all signs point to "The Endless" being an even bigger success. The film played at Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, and will no doubt be seen by a wider audience throughout 2017.
Answered Questions
ray-0699031 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This movie in one word: thoughtful.
Each detail of the movie, every conversation, has hints and meaning laced into it. I'm convinced any questions you have are answered somewhere in the movie. There may not be a monolog at the end to explain it to you, and that's part of the beauty. You get to discover the answers yourself. Or from me, if you read ahead.
Spoilers follow.
My interpretation of the ending:
The two brothers have been stuck in the loop. A 10 year + long loop. But in this loop, the one we witness, they break free. They have finally discovered the ending that the entity in the sky wanted to see.
Evidence:
1. Pedophile: Anna and Aaron have a flirtatious undertone throughout the movie. Justin tells Aaron at one point that Anna would "make eyes" at Aaron as a child, and he then goes on to call her a pedophile.
Is this scene just pointless banter between brothers? No. This is a clue. Why would Anna make eyes at Aaron as a child? Not because she was a pedophile, but because she had been with him in a prior loop as an adult.
2. The gun nut tweaker painting: Lizzy, the escaped mental health patient, is painting a picture of a man holding his arms out toward either side, guns in hand. She calls him the gun nut tweaker. She used to watch him on her trips from the psych ward.
We initially think the gun nut tweaker is the drug addict that Mike is trying to get sober. But after Justin delivers the gun for the angry 3 hour loop man, we see him replicate this exact picture. The angry man has his arms out, gun in one hand, his fingers in the shape of a gun on the other, before he kills himself.
How would Lizzy have painted this picture? How would she have seen this scene? She can't tell the future, the only way she would know that image is if she had seen it in the past. And the only way that would have happened in the past is if this was not Justin's first time bringing him a gun, and thus not his first loop.
3. The projection screen: After Justin and Aaron meet at the trailer, they walk off. The camera pans to a projection screen that shows them walking off, and then shows it again, and again. I believe this is showing their prior loops, the multiple times they have repeated the same actions.
4. Car battery / camcorder: In order for Aaron and Justin to die in their loop, they had to return to it. They receive a video from the cult, that no one seems to have sent. This leads me to believe that the thing in the sky is the one who sent it, calling them back to complete their loop. Even when outside the camp, they were making decisions that would get them back there. Aaron was supposed to buy a car battery, but instead bought a camcorder. A camcorder that allowed him to watch the video, the video that brought them back to the camp. He did not buy the battery, because a battery would have made it easy for Justin to leave when he was "thrown out". If he had left, he would not have completed his loop.
5. "All I ever wanted" Justin likes to call the shots. From the beginning to the end Aaron complained about how he never lets him make any decisions, how he controls their life. When Aaron says he wants to stay and Justin says okay, he's taken aback. They decide to leave together. Justin finally lets Aaron drive. "All I ever wanted was to screw up alongside you". And this time, they escape. I believe this small decision to let Aaron call the shots and take control is what made them able to escape their loop. It was the ending the entity in the sky wanted to see.
I believe all the characters can escape. It's just a matter of not time, but action. That's why Hal told the woman they would find her husband, it just might take a very long time... Hal himself is trying to escape by figuring out the equation.
When everyone sees that Justin and Aaron have finally escaped, they all smile, albeit somewhat sadly. They are happy for them, it probably gives them hope that someday they may too escape. But it is also sad, because they will never see their friends again -- friends they have known loop after loop after loop.
Each detail of the movie, every conversation, has hints and meaning laced into it. I'm convinced any questions you have are answered somewhere in the movie. There may not be a monolog at the end to explain it to you, and that's part of the beauty. You get to discover the answers yourself. Or from me, if you read ahead.
Spoilers follow.
My interpretation of the ending:
The two brothers have been stuck in the loop. A 10 year + long loop. But in this loop, the one we witness, they break free. They have finally discovered the ending that the entity in the sky wanted to see.
Evidence:
1. Pedophile: Anna and Aaron have a flirtatious undertone throughout the movie. Justin tells Aaron at one point that Anna would "make eyes" at Aaron as a child, and he then goes on to call her a pedophile.
Is this scene just pointless banter between brothers? No. This is a clue. Why would Anna make eyes at Aaron as a child? Not because she was a pedophile, but because she had been with him in a prior loop as an adult.
2. The gun nut tweaker painting: Lizzy, the escaped mental health patient, is painting a picture of a man holding his arms out toward either side, guns in hand. She calls him the gun nut tweaker. She used to watch him on her trips from the psych ward.
We initially think the gun nut tweaker is the drug addict that Mike is trying to get sober. But after Justin delivers the gun for the angry 3 hour loop man, we see him replicate this exact picture. The angry man has his arms out, gun in one hand, his fingers in the shape of a gun on the other, before he kills himself.
How would Lizzy have painted this picture? How would she have seen this scene? She can't tell the future, the only way she would know that image is if she had seen it in the past. And the only way that would have happened in the past is if this was not Justin's first time bringing him a gun, and thus not his first loop.
3. The projection screen: After Justin and Aaron meet at the trailer, they walk off. The camera pans to a projection screen that shows them walking off, and then shows it again, and again. I believe this is showing their prior loops, the multiple times they have repeated the same actions.
4. Car battery / camcorder: In order for Aaron and Justin to die in their loop, they had to return to it. They receive a video from the cult, that no one seems to have sent. This leads me to believe that the thing in the sky is the one who sent it, calling them back to complete their loop. Even when outside the camp, they were making decisions that would get them back there. Aaron was supposed to buy a car battery, but instead bought a camcorder. A camcorder that allowed him to watch the video, the video that brought them back to the camp. He did not buy the battery, because a battery would have made it easy for Justin to leave when he was "thrown out". If he had left, he would not have completed his loop.
5. "All I ever wanted" Justin likes to call the shots. From the beginning to the end Aaron complained about how he never lets him make any decisions, how he controls their life. When Aaron says he wants to stay and Justin says okay, he's taken aback. They decide to leave together. Justin finally lets Aaron drive. "All I ever wanted was to screw up alongside you". And this time, they escape. I believe this small decision to let Aaron call the shots and take control is what made them able to escape their loop. It was the ending the entity in the sky wanted to see.
I believe all the characters can escape. It's just a matter of not time, but action. That's why Hal told the woman they would find her husband, it just might take a very long time... Hal himself is trying to escape by figuring out the equation.
When everyone sees that Justin and Aaron have finally escaped, they all smile, albeit somewhat sadly. They are happy for them, it probably gives them hope that someday they may too escape. But it is also sad, because they will never see their friends again -- friends they have known loop after loop after loop.
great rope scene
SnoopyStyle26 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Two brothers receive a video from a cult they escaped years earlier. Older brother Justin Smith had pulled his younger brother Aaron out believing the group to be a death cult and insists that they had committed mass suicide. Aaron remembers nothing but good times. Justin admits that he had not actually witness any deaths. They go back to examine their vastly different past experiences. Aaron falls for Anna. There is something surreal happening within the camp.
The premise is interesting. I love the rope scene. It is simple and compelling. It's a simple in camera effect which isn't even that difficult. What it is is that it presented something mysterious and intriguing. It is the best idea ever. Then the special effects get surreal and random. It stops being compelling. As for the actors, the two brothers are lackluster. They don't have much personality and honestly, sometimes I confused them. At a certain point, I stopped caring. It's a standard indie failing. They need at least one top level actor but they don't have it here. Also, Justin needs better motivation to go back. The movie isn't clear enough. Quite frankly, he would probably hide from it rather than confront it. This indie has some greatness in it but not consistently great.
The premise is interesting. I love the rope scene. It is simple and compelling. It's a simple in camera effect which isn't even that difficult. What it is is that it presented something mysterious and intriguing. It is the best idea ever. Then the special effects get surreal and random. It stops being compelling. As for the actors, the two brothers are lackluster. They don't have much personality and honestly, sometimes I confused them. At a certain point, I stopped caring. It's a standard indie failing. They need at least one top level actor but they don't have it here. Also, Justin needs better motivation to go back. The movie isn't clear enough. Quite frankly, he would probably hide from it rather than confront it. This indie has some greatness in it but not consistently great.
Ranges from brilliant to ridiculous to horrible
M_Exchange23 April 2018
Warning: Spoilers
It ranges from brilliant to ridiculous to horrible-- sometimes during the course of two scenes. I understand the limitations of working with a low budget, and they did a fairly good job of just making a coherent story. I've seen many low budget features and shorts that weren't even coherent, let alone good.
I just don't like its imbalanced tone and story. My main problem: when Justin Benson's character threw down verbally against the cult leader there should have been a tonal change with him that lasted for the remainder of the film. No one would have such an epiphany and verbally blow up at someone about the horrible conditions in that place then just lollygag through the remainder of his escape. Just moments after he decided that he wanted to leave he seemed as indifferent and lethargic as he seemed during the beginning of the film. There was no sense of urgency or anger or even panic in his acting-- normal things that one would expect in those conditions. It might have been a limitation of him directing himself. Aaron Moorehead's performance as his brother was almost as uneven. They seemed to play basically the same people from the start of the film to its ending. I misinterpreted their natural performances at the beginning of the film as the signs of good actors. No. If no one seems to emote the danger and urgency in a film, why should a viewer care? Overall, it's a so-so film.
I just don't like its imbalanced tone and story. My main problem: when Justin Benson's character threw down verbally against the cult leader there should have been a tonal change with him that lasted for the remainder of the film. No one would have such an epiphany and verbally blow up at someone about the horrible conditions in that place then just lollygag through the remainder of his escape. Just moments after he decided that he wanted to leave he seemed as indifferent and lethargic as he seemed during the beginning of the film. There was no sense of urgency or anger or even panic in his acting-- normal things that one would expect in those conditions. It might have been a limitation of him directing himself. Aaron Moorehead's performance as his brother was almost as uneven. They seemed to play basically the same people from the start of the film to its ending. I misinterpreted their natural performances at the beginning of the film as the signs of good actors. No. If no one seems to emote the danger and urgency in a film, why should a viewer care? Overall, it's a so-so film.
A rather amazing film.
planktonrules26 October 2017
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead wanted to make a film. The problem is that they're newcomers to filmmaking and didn't have the millions it usually costs to make a movie. So, they chose to star in the film, direct, produce and Benson wrote the script! In addition, although the film has some sci-fi/supernatural elements, they managed to create some stunning special effects on the cheap! Watching it is like a lesson on economical filmmaking...and it's a darned good film to boot!
Justin and Aaron (yes, the filmmakers use their real names) both apparently left a cult many years ago. Unfortunately, their lives have sucked since and not Aaron is growing wistful and wants to return to this cult for at least a visit. Exasperated, his brother eventually agrees to make the drive to the middle of no where. And, not surprisingly Aaron LOVES the place and wants to stay. Justin, on the other hand, soon learns more about the place and is scared to death...as Aaron eventually will be as well.
I would try to explain more about the plot but it's almost impossible to describe the plot. Instead, just watch it with an open mind and enjoy the high quality of the production. It's also a film with a few funny moments as well as harrowing ones...and a film that I am very happy I saw at the Philadelphia Film Festival.
Justin and Aaron (yes, the filmmakers use their real names) both apparently left a cult many years ago. Unfortunately, their lives have sucked since and not Aaron is growing wistful and wants to return to this cult for at least a visit. Exasperated, his brother eventually agrees to make the drive to the middle of no where. And, not surprisingly Aaron LOVES the place and wants to stay. Justin, on the other hand, soon learns more about the place and is scared to death...as Aaron eventually will be as well.
I would try to explain more about the plot but it's almost impossible to describe the plot. Instead, just watch it with an open mind and enjoy the high quality of the production. It's also a film with a few funny moments as well as harrowing ones...and a film that I am very happy I saw at the Philadelphia Film Festival.
The Endless by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead
ariwebbkatanos4 April 2018
What to say about this film? It wasn't what I intended to see when I traveled to the cinemas last month, but it's what I got. I don't have much to say about the actors, or directors, nor their previous films. I simply walked into this movie blind. It's from this perspective that I'll put together my short review. The Endless is a film about time, life and consequences, coupled with supernatural themes and elements.
The Endless starts out poorly and awkwardly with obvious low production value, stale acting and a weirdly present shaky cam. The poor impression this put on me harmed the film in the short term, but actually left a lot of room for it to move upwards, and that it did. The film itself decently improves once the plot moves from the characters normal lives and into the isolated country area where the rest of the movie takes place.
The plot itself is the movies strongest suit, but that isn't saying much. It delivers decently on tense moments, interesting characters and creative concepts. Throughout the film I had to remain on my toes to stay on top of some of its more convoluted elements, which I'm going to put into the negative category. I honestly believe a film's plot should at least on a surface level be completely graspable in a first watch, with still plenty of underlying points and themes waiting to be discovered later.
By and large the film didn't capture my attention for very long and its even taken me a while to get around to writing this review. In summary, the film keeps itself moving on its good pacing and plot, but is constantly brought down by over-complicated elements and stale acting. I had originally considered a 7 out of 10 for the film, but on revision I think I will leave it with a 6.
The Endless starts out poorly and awkwardly with obvious low production value, stale acting and a weirdly present shaky cam. The poor impression this put on me harmed the film in the short term, but actually left a lot of room for it to move upwards, and that it did. The film itself decently improves once the plot moves from the characters normal lives and into the isolated country area where the rest of the movie takes place.
The plot itself is the movies strongest suit, but that isn't saying much. It delivers decently on tense moments, interesting characters and creative concepts. Throughout the film I had to remain on my toes to stay on top of some of its more convoluted elements, which I'm going to put into the negative category. I honestly believe a film's plot should at least on a surface level be completely graspable in a first watch, with still plenty of underlying points and themes waiting to be discovered later.
By and large the film didn't capture my attention for very long and its even taken me a while to get around to writing this review. In summary, the film keeps itself moving on its good pacing and plot, but is constantly brought down by over-complicated elements and stale acting. I had originally considered a 7 out of 10 for the film, but on revision I think I will leave it with a 6.
Don't try to convince me this movie makes sense
squareyourface25 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The acting was ok. The writing was ok. The idea is kinda neat. But the lack of internal consistency and explanation...frustrated me. Some examples:
- When the loop resets for the gun nut tweaker, his previous body is still there? Why isn't his body there from every loop? Shouldn't there be hundreds of corpses? Why aren't anyone else's bodies there from their previous loops?
- Do people have an awareness of their loop? The cult people seem to. The gun nut tweaker does. But the protagonists don't seem to, despite clues that they are looping. The handcuffed drug addict and his friend talk about knowing about their loop, and yet, when it resets, they seem to carry on repeating their previous loop like their memory has been reset. The guy in the tent with a 10 second loop speaks like he knows he's looping but acts like he doesn't by doing the exact same thing every time. I don't understand the rules.
- So the monster in the sky has complete control of time, and is omnipresent, but it can only communicate by taking pictures on a polaroid camera?! And why does it leave media in such random locations? Sometimes it's mailed to you, sometimes dropped at your feet, and sometimes delivered to the bottom of a lake. What?
- Why is the cult so secretive about information regarding their loop while people in other loops aren't secretive about it? They come right out and say it. It seems like they're in a predicament, and they would want to explain it to others and ask for help.
- And what is the sky monster that controls time? Oh sorry, not only can it communicate by taking polaroid pictures, but it can play tug of war. And you know it doesn't like you if it tugs real hard.
- What are the clumpy, gnarled sticks? I get that they are somehow a sign of the presence of the monster...but what else? Sometimes you can walk next to one and walk through a loop boundary, but other times you walk next to one and nothing happens.
- When a loop resets, what happens to the sun, to daylight, to things outside your loop boundary that can still affect you? When your 3 hour loop resets, does the position of the sun also reset, or does it continue from where it was at the end of your previous loop?
- How do you escape your loop? Or alternatively, what is keeping people in their loop? The protagonists just have to drive outside it and then apparently they're free. Why doesn't everyone just do that?
- What do the swirling birds in the sky have to do with anything?
Flawed, but Entertaining
joesayl11 October 2018
Loopy!
mgruebel7 October 2018
Warning: Spoilers
'The Endless' is a low budget film, but with high auteur aspirations. The actors/film-makers have made a sequel (in a trilogy?), some of whose characters are familiar from a previous film.
The premise of the film is that Justin and his brother Aaron, whose life Justin runs, eke out a pretty miserable routine - or daily loop - of boring work and no relationships. When they receive a strange video tape, they return to visit a cult that rescued them as children. Strange markers that look like stony spikes mark the circumference of the cult - and of something terrifying behind it. As the brothers explore the area and forge relationships with cult members that seem not to have aged at all in 10 years, Aaron wants to stay to escape his brother's control, but Justin finds out that the markers contain 'bubbles' where time runs in a loop, some a few seconds, one (you guessed it!) 10 years. The bubbles don't repeat over and over exactly, but start with the same initial condition and end with the same final condition: death of those within when the loop restarts. In-between there is at least the appearance of free will.
These bubbles were created by an entity we never get to see, but which is ever-present: in drawings by an escapee from an insane asylum; in ancient Native American monoliths (so it's been around for a long time!); in equations written out by the physicist-leader of the cult (who claims there is no leader). The entity is the audience for the sad shows put on by the unfortunate bubble prisoners, and goads them along with movies, photos and sound recordings that fall from the sky or emerge from the lake.
The movie gets 7/10, even though production values are low-budget and the acting varies in quality, for several reasons: it keeps the audience on its toes; it spends a lot of time on good character development, including the brother's ambiguous relationship, but also with cult members and a few others trapped in time bubbles; it can be seen again, and hints in various parts of the movie will become apparent on second viewing; it bucks the annoying trend of constant action without reflection in most current movies. (Well, OK, it's an indie film, so it better!)
Also, I usually find electronic scores annoying, but this one is subdued and menacing at the same time, and should hold up pretty well.
I hear there will be a 'part 3' at some point, and look forward to it with interest. I do hope the auteurs stay away from a banal revelation like the spider creature at the end of 'It,' or the human batteries in 'The Matrix.'
The premise of the film is that Justin and his brother Aaron, whose life Justin runs, eke out a pretty miserable routine - or daily loop - of boring work and no relationships. When they receive a strange video tape, they return to visit a cult that rescued them as children. Strange markers that look like stony spikes mark the circumference of the cult - and of something terrifying behind it. As the brothers explore the area and forge relationships with cult members that seem not to have aged at all in 10 years, Aaron wants to stay to escape his brother's control, but Justin finds out that the markers contain 'bubbles' where time runs in a loop, some a few seconds, one (you guessed it!) 10 years. The bubbles don't repeat over and over exactly, but start with the same initial condition and end with the same final condition: death of those within when the loop restarts. In-between there is at least the appearance of free will.
These bubbles were created by an entity we never get to see, but which is ever-present: in drawings by an escapee from an insane asylum; in ancient Native American monoliths (so it's been around for a long time!); in equations written out by the physicist-leader of the cult (who claims there is no leader). The entity is the audience for the sad shows put on by the unfortunate bubble prisoners, and goads them along with movies, photos and sound recordings that fall from the sky or emerge from the lake.
The movie gets 7/10, even though production values are low-budget and the acting varies in quality, for several reasons: it keeps the audience on its toes; it spends a lot of time on good character development, including the brother's ambiguous relationship, but also with cult members and a few others trapped in time bubbles; it can be seen again, and hints in various parts of the movie will become apparent on second viewing; it bucks the annoying trend of constant action without reflection in most current movies. (Well, OK, it's an indie film, so it better!)
Also, I usually find electronic scores annoying, but this one is subdued and menacing at the same time, and should hold up pretty well.
I hear there will be a 'part 3' at some point, and look forward to it with interest. I do hope the auteurs stay away from a banal revelation like the spider creature at the end of 'It,' or the human batteries in 'The Matrix.'
This will get you trippin'.
undeaddt2 December 2018
Right from the door you can see that it is a limited budget, indie style movie, but doesn't make it bad in comparison to other big movies from the same genre. The storyline is pretty weird and interesting that makes you feel awkard throughout the whole movie and the concept is pretty original. The only problem I had with this movie is that it had at least 3-4 big plot holes that need to be filled so it can become a movie as a whole, like for example. how did they escape the cult in the first place ?
A gem of a sci fi thriller
knhu19 October 2019
What a great little gem!
I've watched this film three times - something I very rarely do.
What I value the most about this film is the story line. The story is tight, and simple, and clever, which is a lot more than what I can say about many mainstream sci fi blockbusters.
They probably deserve even better rating, given the limited budget they had to work with, in order to get this result. Good work!
Great, atmospheric low-budget filmmaking
Morten_518 November 2017
28th STOCKHOLM INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL. DAY 4, NOV 11th 2017. Swedish premiere at the festival on Nov 10th.
Going on that low-budget style, the grainy and sunlit photography works well in contributing to the atmosphere of the movie. Mindblowing.
With "The Endless" (2017), directors duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead delivers their third full-feature collaboration (excluding anthology film "V/H/S Viral" (2014)), after acclaimed "Resolution" (2012) and "Spring" (2014). Written by Benson, shot by Moorhead, co-edited by Benson and Michael Felker and produced by Benson, Moorhead and a few others, the film is filled with aspiration and holds some interesting ideas.
Going on that low-budget style, the grainy and sunlit photography works well in contributing to the atmosphere of the movie. Mindblowing.
With "The Endless" (2017), directors duo Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead delivers their third full-feature collaboration (excluding anthology film "V/H/S Viral" (2014)), after acclaimed "Resolution" (2012) and "Spring" (2014). Written by Benson, shot by Moorhead, co-edited by Benson and Michael Felker and produced by Benson, Moorhead and a few others, the film is filled with aspiration and holds some interesting ideas.
Compelling and Creepy But Ultimately Unrewarding
eabra4846319 May 2022
"The Endless" is a low budget fantasy thriller that does a great job of capturing attention from the start. Two brothers return to the cult they "escaped" from ten years earlier to...well, it's not really all that clear why they returned, other than maybe the real world wasn't being all that nice to them. This is the whole problem with the film. Lots of creepy, strange and ominous things occur, but ultimately none of it is tied together in a meaningful way. The viewers are left with very little to grasp and the result is a film you quickly forget within minutes of the ending.
Well written Sci-Fi Thriller for those who like to think.
piratefemme-144-40002824 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Nicely paced reveals without actually giving any end-game full answers. Was really pleased with this. I'm not a horror fan, but a huge thriller buff and I appreciate tension, build, mystery, more tension, some nail biting, tossing in questioning of reality, and deeper meaning layered into the context.
Yeah, some of the free-will questions are spoon-fed, but there are other western family/religion and political ideals being questioned as well.
There is one quote in the film that really put the entire thing in a nutshell, but I don't want to give anything away.
It got incredibly high rating everywhere I've looked except IMDb, so was suprised at 6.5 here. I assume its from people expecting a horror and being given a Sci-fi philosophical thriller and being miffed about it.
Yeah, some of the free-will questions are spoon-fed, but there are other western family/religion and political ideals being questioned as well.
There is one quote in the film that really put the entire thing in a nutshell, but I don't want to give anything away.
It got incredibly high rating everywhere I've looked except IMDb, so was suprised at 6.5 here. I assume its from people expecting a horror and being given a Sci-fi philosophical thriller and being miffed about it.
Weird, creepy and a fun watch
jtindahouse23 July 2019
Very rarely do I watch movies on the Rialto channel but I was flicking through the other day and 'The Endless' came up on the planner. It sounded interesting and after a quick glimpse at the trailer I decided to give it a go. It pretty much fit exactly into my perception of Rialto channel movies. To be frank, it was weird. But weird in a good way if that makes sense. This film goes to some utterly bizarre places.
The film starts out straight-forward enough. A couple of brothers return to the cult they left years ago. The first half of the film is spent introducing us to characters and creating mystery around the true motivations of the cult. The occasional weird thing is happening, but nothing too over the top at this stage. Then in the second half of the movie all hell breaks loose and we go to crazy town. I would have to say I actually enjoyed the first half of the movie more. In fact I would really like to see this film given a conlusion to the way it starts out that wasn't supernatural in any way. That's the film I would have preferred to see.
But what we got certainly wasn't bad. It's a movie where you never know what is going to happen next and I loved that about it. It also feels like anything can and will happen, also a major plus. The cast were actually the biggest surprise of all for me. For a clearly low-budget film they did extremely well. Creepy when they needed to be, mysterious at other times, they nailed all the marks. And it must be said this film does get very creepy in certain places. I had a good time with 'The Endless' and I look forward to going back and watching these filmmaker's earlier films.
The film starts out straight-forward enough. A couple of brothers return to the cult they left years ago. The first half of the film is spent introducing us to characters and creating mystery around the true motivations of the cult. The occasional weird thing is happening, but nothing too over the top at this stage. Then in the second half of the movie all hell breaks loose and we go to crazy town. I would have to say I actually enjoyed the first half of the movie more. In fact I would really like to see this film given a conlusion to the way it starts out that wasn't supernatural in any way. That's the film I would have preferred to see.
But what we got certainly wasn't bad. It's a movie where you never know what is going to happen next and I loved that about it. It also feels like anything can and will happen, also a major plus. The cast were actually the biggest surprise of all for me. For a clearly low-budget film they did extremely well. Creepy when they needed to be, mysterious at other times, they nailed all the marks. And it must be said this film does get very creepy in certain places. I had a good time with 'The Endless' and I look forward to going back and watching these filmmaker's earlier films.
Terrible.
rdlogie14 January 2019
How are the reviews so favourable - or rather more than favourable? The writing and dialogue was cliché and quite unrealistic. The interactions were poorly acted. We laughed when we were supposed to be intrigued. It felt like a poor college film class production. The premise where the main characters would go back to "a cult", and the poor memory of events, given that it wasn't all that long ago were drastically unbelievable. I just am at a loss as to how there are so many extremely positive reviews. I've never felt betrayed by the meta score and have always closely agreed with the score and the reviews, but this one has me at a complete loss.
The Endless repetitiously increases its cosmic horror through its convoluted complexity.
TheMovieDiorama23 August 2019
Whenever a feature, particularly an indie flick, commences its story with a quote from Lovecraft, you just know you're in for a bizarre journey. To review The Endless' plot would be to spoil the enigmatic mystery, so apologies in advance if I rarely touch upon it. Having said that, absolute credit must given to Benson and Moorhead for comprising the film's entirety from the ground up. Impressive on such a low budget. A shame that the further the story progresses, its staying power is also lost due to its vastly convoluted plot that will leave you perplexed for a decent hour of its runtime. Two brothers who escaped a "UFO death cult" visit the campsite again after receiving a mysterious tape through the post.
Originality is the essence of filmmaking brilliance. It's so rare for modern cinema to host surrealism, mostly due to its non-marketable premise, that both Moorhead and Benson should be revered as creative geniuses. Even if, in my opinion, the plot's complexity is its downfall. Praise must be given for even attempting to convey such ambition. Lovecraftian thrills alluding to the trapped mind state of a devout religious cult member, segregated from society. Comparing the idyllic civilised lifestyle of a brainwashed member to the fearful freedom of the outside world where opportunities seem so infrequent.
Bolstered by surreal imagery, The Endless attempts to compel by sporadically implementing ostentatious breadcrumbs to unravel its absurd science-fiction premise, but its labyrinthine complexity forces other technical aspects to decrease in quality. As I said, Benson and Moorhead are multi-talented individuals. Both directing this convoluted behemoth, starring as lead actors, editing, writing, producing and providing the cinematography. But their mass involvement has meant that every element is rough around the edges. The writing often delves into synchronous banter between the two brothers that felt unnatural and often missed the mark. The writing to explain the concept? Great, if a little expositional. In contrast, the characters lack that personable touch, exhuming unusual dynamics that impossibly describe an impossible situation. The banter occasionally addresses this, but when discussing the difference between "sleeping with someone" and "going to sleep with someone", it skews the tone.
The cinematography, resembling the circular symbolism embedded throughout, was somewhat distracting. The outskirts of the camera lens being squished to force this circular vision, with the colour grading offering a pale perspective. The editing was often harsh and abrupt, cutting a scene and then randomly appearing halfway through a different conversation. And of course the disparity in concept detailing and character development meant that the third act lost a portion of its humanity that was built effortlessly in the first act. The performances however all felt realistic and allowed the concept to breathe through naturally. Always good to end on a positive.
The Endless is described as a horror. It's not. Even reaching out to its Lovecraftian roots would prove futile in the search for endless scares. It's pure mystery, with an original concept so grand that it unfortunately doesn't stick the landing. Yet I'd happily see more from these two, as I believe their efforts on all levels should be eternally praised.
Originality is the essence of filmmaking brilliance. It's so rare for modern cinema to host surrealism, mostly due to its non-marketable premise, that both Moorhead and Benson should be revered as creative geniuses. Even if, in my opinion, the plot's complexity is its downfall. Praise must be given for even attempting to convey such ambition. Lovecraftian thrills alluding to the trapped mind state of a devout religious cult member, segregated from society. Comparing the idyllic civilised lifestyle of a brainwashed member to the fearful freedom of the outside world where opportunities seem so infrequent.
Bolstered by surreal imagery, The Endless attempts to compel by sporadically implementing ostentatious breadcrumbs to unravel its absurd science-fiction premise, but its labyrinthine complexity forces other technical aspects to decrease in quality. As I said, Benson and Moorhead are multi-talented individuals. Both directing this convoluted behemoth, starring as lead actors, editing, writing, producing and providing the cinematography. But their mass involvement has meant that every element is rough around the edges. The writing often delves into synchronous banter between the two brothers that felt unnatural and often missed the mark. The writing to explain the concept? Great, if a little expositional. In contrast, the characters lack that personable touch, exhuming unusual dynamics that impossibly describe an impossible situation. The banter occasionally addresses this, but when discussing the difference between "sleeping with someone" and "going to sleep with someone", it skews the tone.
The cinematography, resembling the circular symbolism embedded throughout, was somewhat distracting. The outskirts of the camera lens being squished to force this circular vision, with the colour grading offering a pale perspective. The editing was often harsh and abrupt, cutting a scene and then randomly appearing halfway through a different conversation. And of course the disparity in concept detailing and character development meant that the third act lost a portion of its humanity that was built effortlessly in the first act. The performances however all felt realistic and allowed the concept to breathe through naturally. Always good to end on a positive.
The Endless is described as a horror. It's not. Even reaching out to its Lovecraftian roots would prove futile in the search for endless scares. It's pure mystery, with an original concept so grand that it unfortunately doesn't stick the landing. Yet I'd happily see more from these two, as I believe their efforts on all levels should be eternally praised.
See also
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