Review: I’m thinking of ending things, by Charlie Kaufman

A new Charlie Kaufman movie premiered on the streaming giant. The director is known for his time-jumping movies and stories within stories. Perhaps his best known films are Being John Malkovich, Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind and Synecdoche, New York. Now he comes with another suspenseful tangle made into a feature film:  I'm thinking of ending things, a Netflix original.

What is I'm thinking of ending things?

The film is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by Iain Reid, a Canadian author who has written mostly non-fiction.  I'm thinking of ending things is his first novel, which was published in 2016 and which is a bizarre psychological thriller, like the movie. In the Netflix production, then, we will see a dark and strange tone that embraces the plot of the film: a young woman thinks about ending the relationship with her boyfriend while, at the same time, she agrees to go with him to her parents' farm; This visit will be full of inexplicable phenomena about the protagonist's perception of the house, the road and the in-laws.

This is the third film in which Charlie Kaufman plays the role of director. The other two have been the hits Synecdoche, New York and Anomalisa. Kaufman is best known, in fact, for his work as a writer and screenwriter. He won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay for writing the story of Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind which imagines, also in a cold and somber tone, a couple trying to get rid of each other's memories. Thus, in I'm thinking of ending things, we will see more of his talent as a screenwriter, because, like his previous stories, this one is tangled and elliptical.

Also read: Review: Palm Springs, the new Hulu

Our first impressions

The film stars Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons as the young couple and Toni Collette and David Thewlis as the in-laws. Collette and Thewlis demonstrate their experience and mastery with playful interpretations of insane and near-zombie in-laws young and old, as the protagonist sees and perceives them in all their facets. All this is wrapped in the film in an atmosphere of earthy and winter colors, so the gloomy and suspenseful tone is reinforced: the protagonist and her boyfriend are isolated from the rest of the world at the in-laws' farm, which is also his childhood home.

The anguishing visit to the in-laws is full of tangled and confusing phenomena for the visitor and the viewer. Perhaps there is too much aura of mystery and too little explanation. However, this suspenseful joke can become entertaining for the Netflix subscriber, although disappointing after the 134 minutes that the film lasts without any clue to help the viewer solve the mystery that has been cleverly crafted for us. Wierd and uncomfortable, I am thinking of ending things has a surreal tone that is not for everyone, but that can, at least, entertain a portion of the Netflix audience.