In The End, we find ourselves in an underground bunker at the end of the world. Occupied by a lone family (Michael Shannon, Tilda Swinton, George McKay) and their staff, they spend their days rearranging furniture and running drills for their own safety. Their world is upended though with the arrival of a mysterious Girl (Moses Ingram). Stumbling out of the chaos of the world, she looks for safety in their home. However, her presence sparks revelations about the past that threatens the stability of their home.
Written and directed by Joshua Oppenheimer, The End is a bold and beautiful film that asks some of life’s most profound questions in the midst of its sci-fi atmosphere. Performances by Swinton, Shannon, McKay, and Ingram are powerful and thoughtful. Every actor in this film feels invested in the material, feeling present in the moment, even at its most bizarre.
This is the sort of film that demands accountability for the injustices of the past (and present) by focusing on the bleakest of futures. While The End feels almost otherworldly in its settings, its issues of racial displacement, white privilege and power dynamics all feel too real. Conversations like these are incredibly insightful, pushing The End into the realm of spiritual and social inquest. Here, Oppenheimer sits at the table of the privileged and powerful but also creates conversations that forces them to explore their own obliviousness.
Nevertheless, The End results in somewhat of a mixed experience. Through his insightful script, Oppenheimer absolutely puts the modern world on blast in the best of ways. However, despite the depth of meaning explored in its interpersonal conversations, it’s the tepid nature of the music that somehow keeps this piece as only ‘fine’.
The End is playing at TIFF ’24. For more information, click here.
