Top 10 Reasons Why Im Thinking of Ending Things is the Scariest Movie of the Year

As we’ve all been reminded countless times, great source material doesn’t always make for a quality film. That being said, it certainly doesn’t hurt! Published in 2016, Iain Reid’s debut fiction novel received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. It was nominated for the Shirley Jackson Award and also appeared on various “best of” lists that year. Narrated by an unnamed female protagonist, I'm Thinking of Ending Things is an intimate and thoroughly disturbing psychological thriller that will send chills down your spine. It’s one of those rare horror novels that elicits audible gasps from its readers. Once you’ve started reading, it’s very hard to put down - even as the novel’s lingering dread gives way to outright terror.

Can camerawork be both beautiful and fear-inducing? After watching “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”, our answer is “absolutely!” Cinematographer Lukasz Zal clearly has an eye for composition, which, coupled with the set design, brings a sort of rustic decadence to his shots. In his review for slashfilm.com, Chris Evangelista rightfully described Zal’s work behind the camera as “painterly”. But for all its aesthetic beauty, the cinematography also aims to imbue the entire film with a sense of unease and claustrophobia. Even when there’s nothing overtly sinister occurring onscreen, the camera acts as a scalpel. It gets under your skin with its uncomfortably close framing and the way it slowly moves throughout the space, often lingering longer than expected (or comfortable).

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is a thoroughly psychological journey. By the time the credits roll, you’ll be utterly at a loss as to what you’ve just been through. As heady as the plot might be, there are some very grounded scares in the film that tie into our contemporary relationship with phones. The unnamed young woman (sometimes called Lucy), has been receiving mysterious and decidedly ominous phone calls. Now, there’s been no shortage of phone-centric thrillers and horror flicks in recent years. The use of phones in “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” feels decidedly different however. These calls aren’t just a framing for a jumpscare; they add a deep and visceral sense of terror to otherwise seemingly mundane scenes.

Charlie Kaufman doesn’t like to play by the established rules of filmmaking. This is something that he’s made painfully clear with his screenplays for films like “Adaptation.” and the mind-melting “Synecdoche, New York”, which he wrote and directed. Given his filmography, it should come as little surprise that Kaufman similarly defies the conventions of horror in “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”. Throughout the film, the viewer is treated to a variety of unsettling imagery that leads us to certain assumptions. They’re markers of classic horror film plots, but Kaufman simply lets them dangle there, never taking the bait. There’s comfort in knowing how horror movies operate and Kaufman denies us that sense of familiarity. This is an entirely different breed of horror cinema.

At the center of this story is a young woman who’s going to visit her boyfriend’s parents for the first time. Because we experience much of the film from her perspective, complete with narration in the form of her internal thoughts, we naturally identify with her. The more time we spend with our protagonist however, the clearer it becomes that there’s more to her than meets the eye. She’s set up to be the audience’s anchor in this ocean of uncertainty, but she herself is very much untethered. “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is by no means the first film to employ an unreliable narrator, but it’s rarely been executed so well. Furthermore, when our narrator is literally interrupted by other invasive voices, it cuts like a knife.

The psychological thriller, as a genre, loves to play with the concept of skewed perspectives of reality. “Jacob’s Ladder”, “Shutter Island”, “Mulholland Drive” — these are just a few of the most notable such examples. These films are like mental puzzles, with the viewer’s enjoyment coming from not only the twists and turns, but from also attempting to piece together clues along the way. It’s one thing to make the viewer question the reality of the characters on-screen. But when the delusions are as expertly crafted as they are in this movie, that paranoia escapes the world of the film and forces the viewer to question their own reality and sense of identity. Such is the case with “I’m Thinking of Ending Things”; it’s a scary experience.

“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” covers a lot of thematic ground. As previously mentioned, it delves into questions of identity and the human mind. It also addresses the notion of desire and gender stereotypes/expectations. At the very heart of the film, however, is an obsession — one from which all the other questions stem. This a theme that Kaufman has explored at length over the course of his career, with “Synecdoche, New York” and “Being John Malkovich” being prime examples. We really don’t want to spoil anything about this film, so we’re not going into detail, but the movie is a testament to the power of an idea and the terrifying lengths to which the human mind will go to satisfy a desire.

As you’re probably starting to figure out, this movie goes to some seriously dark and nebulous places. It’s the sort of film that benefits from repeat viewings to be fully understood. For all its psychological conceits, however, there’s also some very real, relatable and superficial horror to sit through. Meeting a significant other’s parents is stressful even under the best of circumstances, but our protagonist’s visit to Jake’s childhood home plays out like a nightmare. His parents aren’t necessarily unkind, but there’s clearly something very unusual about them that makes the entire experience deeply, deeply uncomfortable to watch — let alone live through. In fact, pretty much every social interaction in the film has an undercurrent of discomfort to it. We guarantee you’ll squirm.

The nice thing about horror films is that, generally-speaking, no matter how terrifying, you leave the fear behind when the credits roll. Be it as a result of over-the-top supernatural threats or unrelatable characters, viewers are able to mentally detach from what they’ve just seen.“I’m Thinking of Ending Things” is not one of those movies. The questions and possibilities raised by the film are invasive and have far-reaching psychological implications. Yes, as previously mentioned, it will make you question your reality, but it’ll also make you wonder about… well, everything. And because it provides so few answers, your brain is going to be fixating on these existentially dreadful concepts for days. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Horror, as a genre, typically takes a multi-pronged approach to generating scares. One of the most common weaknesses in the genre, however, is the acting. And that’s a real shame, because as this movie proves, quality performances make all the difference. Kaufman enlisted A-list talents, including Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette and Davids Thewlis, while our unnamed protagonist is played by Jessie Buckley, who might just be one of the most promising actresses of her generation. When you watch the movie, you quickly realize that with less skilled performers in front of the camera, this film wouldn’t have been half as scary. But the cast fully commits to the insanity of it all, and the end result is one of the most uniquely terrifying cinematic experiences of the year.