At It Ends with Us The last film is sure to ruffle some feathers.
Now that It Ends with Us premiere, both long-time fans of the book and newcomers to the story will watch the film adaptation.
The novel, which was inspired by the authorâs own experience with his parentsâ abusive relationship, was controversial. The film will also cause controversy.
Perhaps the most incendiary part of It Ends with Us is the end itself. What should moviegoers expect?
What is the movie âIt Ends With Usâ? (Spoiler alert!)
It Ends with Us is an adaptation of the 2016 novel of the same name. This novel was written by Colleen Hoover. Screenplay by Christy Hall.
The film stars Blake Lively as the main character, Lily Bloom. Initially appearing as a romance story, Lily falls in love with Ryle Kincaid and the two hit it off instantly.
However, the story quickly turns dark, as Lily notices too many similarities between her marriage to Ryle and her parentsâ abusive marriage. At one point, he pushed her. Another time, he pushed her down the stairs.
In addition to spoilers, beware of graphic depictions of domestic violence and sexual assault
Every abuser has a sob story, some genuine and others made up. In Ryleâs case, he accidentally shot and killed his brother as a child. Now, as an adult, he is furious â flying into violent fits and directing explosive violence at his wife.
One of the most shocking moments is when Ryle invades Lilyâs privacy, rifling through her journal. This is a very common behavior in abusive partners (and parents, exes, etc.). In this case, her childhood diary mentions a platonic friend, Atlas Corrigan â and she becomes convinced that they are having an affair.
Ryleâs abuse escalates. He sexually assaulted her and, when she tried to fight him, he assaulted her with such force that she lost consciousness.
âIt Ends With Usâ depicts a very real nightmare
Lily doesnât escape Ryle, calling Atlas to come rescue her. Atlas takes her to the hospital â where Lily discovers that she is pregnant with the child who is torturing her.
Understandably, Lily did not want to raise her children in an abusive home. Thatâs how he grew up.
However, she ultimately decided to stay with Ryle in the last month of her pregnancy. He tells Atlas about Ryleâs abuse, which he already suspects. And, after giving birth to a daughter, she filed for divorce from the monster so that her daughter would not have to grow up in the same house. Later, co-parenting with Ryle, he and Atlas signaled their desire to form a relationship as adults.
Why is âIt Ends With Usâ controversial?
Any story about domestic abuse will cause controversy. No experience is the same. Some survivors will have it worse (there is always, of course, someone worse off). Others may find that the abuser is very sympathetic, or less sympathetic than the abuser they have experienced.
Many of the book readers donât understand why Lily allowed Ryle to stay alive for so long. Critics say that he will end the relationship as soon as he pushes her, or at least when he pushes her down the stairs.
Additionally, there was controversy surrounding Lilyâs decision to allow Ryle to parent her daughter. Obviously, an abuser is an abuser. Although he never really got mad at Emmy (the big one if), he will surely testify that they are dating again.
Why did the writer make these choices?
Unfortunately, in books and movies, It Ends with Usâ end is all too real for millions of domestic violence survivors.
Abusers often target people who have experienced abuse in the past. Thatâs real, and thatâs what Ryle does in the book and in the movie. Even though Lily resented her parents for their abusive marriage, it clearly opened the way for Ryle to try to convince her that his treatment of her was somehow normal or okay.
Colleen Hoover, who took inspiration from her fatherâs abuse of her mother when writing It Ends with Usclearly understand that. Abusers are manipulative people, and survivors can still make strange choices. Itâs always good to remember that fictional stories are not a guidebook for how real people should act. This is not a morality play.
Is there a movie drama âIt Ends With Usâ?
It appears that there is drama behind the scenes It Ends with Us. One of the main actors (Justin Baldoni) is also the director, but it doesnât seem to fit the cast. Or ⊠maybe fans on Twitter and Instagram just read too much.
Whatever happened, people compared this press tour to Donât worry Darling debate.
Canât we just love a Blake Lively movie? Well, depending on the subject, âenjoyâ might not be the right word. But early reviews say the solid acting is one of the filmâs successes.