“It Ends with Us” Needs Pruning

It Ends with Us (Justin Baldoni, 2024) 2½ out of 5 stars

Armed with the power of BookTok and Taylor Swift, It Ends with Us—the adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s 2016 smash hit—is perfectly primed to become your next girl’s night out. And with its likable stars, engaging storytelling, and dramatic twists and turns, it’s a solid pick. There is, however, a certain amount of pulp that is to be expected with this type of romantic drama. And for those who don’t eat that up, this is simply a tolerable choice with a handful of genuinely emotional moments but plenty of strange story decisions, uneven pacing, and cringey bits in between.

Gossip Girl alum Blake Lively makes for a likable, although horrifically costumed, lead character as flower-shop owner Lily Bloom (yes, that is her real name). Her story is split between her budding relationship Ryle (played by director Justin Baldoni, Clouds), a passionate and rich neurosurgeon, and her memories of Atlas, a homeless boy who became her first love and has recently reentered her life. Lively and the uncannily similar Isabela Ferrer, who plays the younger version of Lily, are charming enough, and their ultimate decision is powerful, if a little too title-recitingly direct.

The other two sides of the love triangle fit right into stock-character tropes, although Ryle’s character hides a much darker and violent side. This side is delicately handled and the movie restrains itself from being overly graphic. This is also a strength, as the scenes of abuse are confusing and make you question what happened, making Lily’s moment of clarity that much more powerful. Perhaps it is because he is played by the director, but it feels like he vies with Lily in complexity. And it is bold—although certainly problematic to some—how the movie asks you to empathize with his character while never excusing his behavior.

The flashbacks are also technically impressive. The decision to shoot them on film gives them a sweet and nostalgic air. Still, the character of Atlas, through no fault of the actors who play him, suffers from the typical problems faced by romantic heroes in that he feels less like a real person and more like a blank slate for the viewer’s wishes, and he’s the weaker for it. While his arc is compelling, his character is mostly used as a harbor of safety for Lily, and their romance feels like it somewhat lessens both her independence and the thematic weight necessary for a story about domestic violence.

The casting of actors who are well-known for stand-up comedy, Jenny Slate (Marcel the Shell with Shoes On) and Hasan Minhaj, as Alyssa, Lily’s new friend (and sister to Ryle), and her husband, also feels like an odd attempt to introduce more lightness to the story.  However, despite frequently feeling out of place, Slate manages to bring a likable energy to the story, and a powerful performance in one of the film’s final and most moving sequences. That scene along with another where Lily asks her mom why she stayed in an abusive relationship, felt too fleeting and overshadowed by the romantic plotline.

There are times when It Ends with Us is a mere montage of emotions, playing to the chaotic soundtrack of everything from Thom Yorke to Post Malone. But for those familiar with Hoover’s work, the sultry and sweet romance and internet message board-level melodrama will almost certainly resonate.

Hannah Tran

Hannah Tran is a film critic and filmmaker from Las Vegas, Nevada. Hannah works as a film screener for the Las Vegas Film Festival and publishes an independent zine focused on highlighing Asian American filmmaking.