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Charlie Kaufman returns to the directors’ chair for the third time, and he has delivered one of his most mind-twisting experience yet with I’m Thinking of Ending Things. If you’ve seen Kaufman’s previous works such as Being John Malkovich and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, then you know how cerebral and unconventional his writing can be. Still, neither film will prepare you for I’m Thinking of Ending Things.
Based upon the book by Iain Reid and adapted by Kaufman himself, the film follows an unnamed woman (Jessie Buckley) and her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) as they travel to meet Jake’s parents in a seemingly far-off farmhouse. Once they arrive, the film takes a drastic yet subtle turn as the world begins to shift in unusual and inconsistent ways. The characters clothes suddenly change, Jake’s parents hop back and forth from middle age to old age, and then there is the uncertainty of what Buckley’s character does for a living.
The shifts are sudden, and they happen almost in-succession from one another, leaving us to wonder: is Buckley’s character going mad, or is something else afoot?
Jessie Buckley is fantastic as the unnamed protagonist who often delivers dark, thought-provoking interior monologues that are often extremely engaging, not just for the intriguing way Kaufman structures his dialogue, but also by Buckley’s delivery. She also plays well with Jesse Plemons, who is mostly meek and dry throughout but is susceptible to sudden bouts of rage, adding an extra level of creepiness which in turn adds another level of “bizarre” to the movie.
I want to say Buckley gives the best performance, but unfortunately for her, Toni Collette is also in the movie. Collette is paired with David Thewlis who plays her husband, and the two together are a marvel on the screen as they portray the scary, energetic, and oddly humorous parents of Jake. Together they add a jagged edge to the film, which helps its shifting nature even more unsettling.
Kaufman’s writing is as good as it’s ever been, with each of his films bringing a different yet familiar style and tone. The first twenty minutes of the film is just one conversation in a car, but Kaufman’s writing flows like a poet on psychedelics keeping us invested even when the characters seem to ramble about unrelated things.
Kaufman has already won one Oscar for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (with four more nominations to boot) and he more than deservedly should win another for his screenplay, as he as somehow managed to adapt a novel (which many have said is unadaptable) and delivered a moving portrait of human life, emotion, and relationship, all told in a format that only he can produce.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things will likely divide audiences for its unconventional narrative and story structure. Still, it’s this style that will help keep the film alive and fresh in the future because this film will undoubtedly be studied in film classes around the world in the future.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things is available to stream on Netflix now! For more film news and reviews, follow The Cinema Spot on Twitter (@TheCinemaSpot) and Instagram (@thecinemaspot_)
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