Film Review: “The End” is a punishingly long and ultimately frustrating musical take on the apocalypse

Who doesn’t love ambition and a big drive? Filmmaker Joshua OppenheimerThe transition from documentary to narrative storytelling is nothing short of a major shift. An apocalyptic musical? Sign me up in a bubble. But in practice? The end is a misfire that takes an intriguing premise and does almost nothing with it. That the film is ultimately a slog is unforgivable given what could have been.

The end Obviously the film doesn’t lack originality, but the film remains so stubbornly neutral that it doesn’t take long for a certain amount of boredom to set in. You’re always waiting for the drama to be compelling or the music to be seductive. Each element could lift up the other if it were willing. Unfortunately, that’s not the case either, and the end result is that they work together to plunge the film into mediocrity.

25 years after an environmental collapse made the earth uninhabitable, we go into a huge bunker underground. There we meet Son (George MacKay), who has only known this life. He creates complicated but largely inaccurate historical dioramas, much to the delight of Mother (Tilda Swinton) and father (Michael Shannon). His son was born in the bunker and therefore only knows embellished stories from his parents’ past. She tells him about her time in the ballet, which may be true, while he was an energy mogul with some guilt about the end of the world. They live with a strict no-outsiders policy and only share this world with their doctor (Lennie James), her butler (Tim McInnerny), her maid (Danielle Ryan) and an old family friend (Bronagh Gallagher). At least it was always like that.

The Arrival of a Stranger in Girl (Moses Ingram) turns everything upside down. The son is completely fascinated by a newcomer, which leads to the girl being allowed to stay, even though the mother is very disturbed by her presence. The father encourages them to spend time together, which causes tension, especially when the son begins to question how much of what he knows is actually the truth.

Despite a strong cast, no one manages to really stand out. George MacKay and Moses Ingram have the most interesting characters to play, although the script never focuses on them enough. Ingram and MacKay are good, but can only partially explore these roles. Tilda Swinton grows up sometimes, which is fun, but never in a way that feels satisfying. Michael Shannon is also exhausted, which is a real shame. Shannon and Swinton should be a highlight in every way The end Not achieving this is worrying. Supporting players Bronagh Gallagher, Lennie James, Tim McInnerny and Danielle Ryan are fine but none of them make much of an impression.

Co-writer/director Joshua Oppenheimer makes his narrative debut in a rather obtuse and even frustrating manner. The script was written by him Rasmus Heisterberg It’s never really about being a musical, but rather making a melodrama that occasionally segues into song. Furthermore, the songs are completely unforgettable. Well, they’re not bad songs, but they seem like the extra songs added to a Broadway adaptation when they’re made into a film, in that they just seem like outcasts. This creates a disadvantage for the film that it can never overcome, especially since Oppenheimer’s direction is quite simple. That’s a shame, considering that his documentaries always seemed so haunting and lively.

The end is a disappointment considering the talent. It’s a real shame that there’s anything remotely boring about it. At just under two and a half hours, the film goes nowhere and slowly moves there. Soon you’ll find yourself frustrated and thinking about how everything could have been done differently. Without a doubt, I think it’s good that a film like this exists. I just wish the final product was better.

RESULT: ★★

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