A young woman (Jessie Buckley) has doubts about her boyfriend, Jake (Jesse Plemons). Still, she agrees to go on a road trip with him to meet his parents (David Thewlis, Toni Colette) at their family farm. Things soon take a turn towards the surreal and existential.
'I'm Thinking of Ending Things' is the latest project of Charlie Kaufman, the mastermind behind 'Anomalisa', 'Being John Malkovich', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' and 'Adaptation'. Kaufman's stuff tends to be profound - 'Anomalisa', which he directed as well as wrote, was a wonder.
Irish actress Jessie Buckley leads the cast and following such recent credits as 'Wild Rose' and 'Chernobyl', continues to prove a phenomenon. You're invested wholly from Buckley's opening monologue on her thoughts on life and "ending things". Moreover Jesse Plemons proves the perfect on-screen character, their conversation taut with energy and a streak of competitiveness. The script is just so well written, with weight behind every line of dialogue. The flow of conversation feels natural and mundane yet interesting, punctuated by small, subtle misunderstandings and moments of intensity.
Then Toni Collette and David Thewlis enter the scene and things get even more interesting. They're wonderfully awkward, try-hard, and over-enthusiastic as Jake's parents. Their physical performances are also amazing as they bring this nervous energy. The dinner scene the four actors share is particularly impressive. After that, things get trippy and confusing as a manipulation of time and its meaning come to the forefront.
Its closing sequence is truly gorgeous and it's an advantage if the viewer is familiar, random as it sounds, with the musical 'Oklahoma!' But the movie may isolate a lot of average Netflix viewers as it is a very strange, albeit fascinating, work. There is a mystery to it that you'll find yourself racking your brains trying to work out. Its conclusion adds up to an extraordinary movie, if you're willing and up for going on its bonkers journey. If you want a movie that makes you feel and think, this undeniably does both - the puzzle box it is contained within will have you discussing its meaning with those you share it with for hours.
