Review: It Ends With Us

Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us got people reading and captured the hearts of millions during the pandemic. Now, the book has come to life with the help of director Justin Baldoni, who also stars in the film, and Blake Lively as our heroine.

Following her father’s funeral, Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) meets a handsome man named Ryle (Justin Baldoni). After a very heatedly forward (and albeit awkward to watch) interaction on a rooftop looking over the Boston skyline, the two part ways. Lily ventures out to achieve her dream of becoming a florist and owning her very own store. As she brings that dream to life, a woman named Allysa (Jenny Slate) comes barreling in like a shot of espresso and quickly becomes Lily’s best friend. Oh, and her brother just so happens to be Ryle. As time moves and lust flames flare, Lily and Ryle fall in love. While everything may seem perfect from the outside, when Lily runs into her high school sweetheart Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), Ryle becomes enraged and turns their sweet romance into a toxic relationship. But were things always perfect? Or have there always been seeds left that were just waiting for the truth to bloom?

First things first, this is not a love story. This is a serious movie about domestic violence. The film’s first act is intriguing and makes you believe you are watching a romantic comedy rather than a drama. I understand Baldoni’s creative vision of making the viewer also fall in love with Ryle, but because things are so light and fluffy, the movie’s second act hardly has an impact. Because we’re not shown Ryle’s true nature throughout, when it takes a toxic turn, you can’t feel the effect of what is happening. You never feel threatened by him at all. It’s only when we finally see what’s happening in a flashback that we get a complete understanding of their relationship.

A few factors feed into the creation of this story, making it feel like two different films. The script is very choppy. It’s as if bits and pieces were scrapped in favor of creating a romantic comedy, only for someone to say, “Hey, wait. This is supposed to be about a toxic relationship.” The music in the film also feels out of place. Most of the time, there’s an energetic beat, and when there is a solemn song lyrically, it doesn’t fit what’s happening on screen. The last factor is wardrobe. Film styling matters. The viewer never gets a sense of who Lily is through her fashion. There are moments where it feels like she’s a kid from a middle-class upbringing trying to make her dreams come true, and then the camera cuts to her Louboutin heels. The clothes are also very distracting. A serious scene is happening, but all you’re paying attention to is how many layers of clothes Blake Lively has on. Writing, music, and clothing can make or break a film. Because these three things didn’t work, It Ends With Us was snapped in half and crushed with a hammer.

This film had one highlight: Jenny Slate. When Slate is on screen, your eyes immediately follow her. Her energy is captivating and provides much-needed comic relief to the movie. I wish we could have gotten more scenes with Allysa and Lily becoming friends to feel how much these two characters love each other. Friendships in these types of films are important to see, and I feel like their story was brushed by too quickly.

It Ends With Us is not a bad film, but it is also not good. The beginning (minus the rooftop scene) was a great start. Unfortunately, it couldn’t cross the finish line. This movie feels like there were too many hands on it. Because of this, it never found the narrative it was looking for.