Review of The Endless (2017) by Kevin S — 21 May 2018

I have had to sit on this movie for two weeks before writing a review. That could mean a lot of things, but in the case of The Endless, it means only the best things. After two weeks of sitting on it, thinking daily about its messages (and there are a seemingly endless number of them, no pun intended), I have fully accepted that this low-budget masterpiece is now my all-time favorite sci-fi movie, and my favorite of the year so far (besting Hereditary at that).

The Endless begins by introducing us to our two main characters, two brothers who have left a cult many years previous. There is such an authenticity to the characters and setting that I was immediatey immersed in the world that Justin Benson and Aaron Moorehead (directors of the also wonderful Spring) have created. And boy is it one to live in. A video arrives from one of the cult members that simply updates the brothers on their progress and mentions that they are approaching an Event. I speak in generalizations and choose not to name the event or explain the characters, because I do believe that this movie is best experienced with the least amount of plot details possible, just as I experienced it. I will say that the brothers choose to return to the cult due to one brother's curiosity, while the other always maintains a not-so-subtle apprehension. The events that ensue (and I don't mean THE Event) are what make up the movie. Each scene landed on me like a ton of bricks, and every single moment of the movie seemed to serve the purpose of either developing the character or the universe in which they exist. Each moment another breadcrumb for the viewer, or experiencer, to chew on. Never too big of a bread crumb, but always fulfilling. The film never takes a foul step, and each scene seems to carry a large amount of clout. By dredging itself in fantasy, the film maintains all objectivity while still enriching the audience with vast knowledge, perhaps unobtainable in any other way. It is hard to describe what The Endless did to me, however the audience all remained seated through the credits, and I didn't even notice until the lights came on. Such was the deep ness of my contemplative state as the credits rolled. The Endless truly is a masterpiece of epic proportions, and a singular vision from two directors who have rocketed to the top of my "most eager for their next film list." Though I know this may be too obscure of a reference, the best way I can describe the experience of living through The Endless is that it is the visual equivalent of reading Meno by Plato. It presents ideas, then uses reasoning beyond what I would have otherwise ever contemplated, to teach metaphysical principles that I would've argued were unteachable before experiencing the master class in philosophy. I believe The Endless May have more to say than perhaps any other film I've ever seen, and I'm sure it's value will only appreciate as not only 2 weeks, but 2 months, 2 years, and 2 decades come to pass. All hail what is very likely going to stand as my favorite film of 2018. ????????????????