I’m Thinking of Ending Things movie could be anything your mind makes it out to be.

Wandering, wondering mind

Instead of making it a standard review, I will share how my mind wanders throughout this film. I am not sure if this movie was directed to make the viewers move along with the mental inhibitions of the characters, and whether certain personality types, the empaths, like INFJ, INTJ, ENTJ are more prone to this mental discomfort. Either way, the film did a good job of achieving that. 

I decided not to research about this movie to make my review as raw as it could get. I will be writing this review as I remember.

Neurosis, a word that has been in use since the 1700s to describe mental, emotional, or physical reactions that are drastic and irrational. At its root, a neurotic behavior is an automatic, unconscious effort to manage deep anxiety.

Source: webmd 

Still from Kaufman, I'm Thinking of Ending Things, (9:50)

Looking into your head or sanity

Watching this film gave me discomfort. The characters and conversations made me look into my head. It made me analyze the characters as they talk, and what they may do next. 

• Do you know that feeling when you have decided on doing something that you are keeping in your head for a while accompanied by related thoughts and feelings that you can not express?
• Have you been in a position of wanting to leave but unable to leave, not because you physically can't but you just can't get to the right moment of when and how? 

If yes, double that feeling, intensify it and take yourself through that for 2 hours. As an audience of this movie, you may start placing yourself within these two main characters for the entirety of the movie; from the moment it starts and ends. This seemed to be the case for me.

I may be describing a narrative of a suspense thriller or horror film, but oddly this movie doesn't even fall in that category or at least doesn't seem to be. It falls more as a psychological thriller with a literary and theatrical element.

Half of the movie takes place inside a moving car during a snowy night. The main characters are a new couple, who are just over a month into their relationship. They take a road trip to the guy's family home. 

The unsettling mood that you may catch as an audience is strongest in two main settings. It's the part where most of the long discourse and dialogue between these two characters occur. The dialogues are not the usual loud bickering which one can draw out a lot of mental turbulence from - but the monotony, the facial expressions. The mood that surrounds the whole scene seemed to get to me.

Effect on empaths

I deduce that this may only be unsettling for empaths or INFJs. Although this happens to us often in situations where there is dissonance of what has been said vs what has been done. It also happens when we can feel that something has not been said, giving us this unsettling energy that we seem to absorb. We should already be comfortable in this discomfort, right?

The other major setting occurs in the boyfriend's house. Although the introduction of his parents changed the dynamics, the unsettling mood is still there.

Most horror or thriller movies allow us to only be observers. But this film is unique. It has a way of translating to the audience that same wariness and inhibition that the main characters experience within themselves. 

Manifestation of Underlying Emotions

It seemed to have a trance-like result to me. The experience was made possible with how it took my mind jumping out and back as though creating my continuity while perceiving underlying emotions the characters seemed to have. My mind seemed to sum up the sequence of the actors’ facial reactions, tones of voice, and gestures in the scene. 

The movie does not directly talk about mental health issues, however, it delves into the fragment of our imagination. Its progression slowly becomes neurotic which may translate to the person watching. 

Some movies may get exasperating 5-10 minutes into watching, but I’m Thinking of Ending Things will take you in the loop of wanting to end things with the movie but can’t end things at the same time. The title even sets the pace. 

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this review are my own and do not represent the opinions of any entity whatsoever with which I have been, am now or will be affiliated. This blog does not provide psychiatric, psychological, or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.