Adapted from Colleen Hoover‘s romance novel of the same title, It Ends with Us, explores the murky waters of domestic violence and emotional abuse. The intriguing storyline was brought to life by a stellar cast that includes Blake Lively in the main role alongside Justin Baldoni, Jenny Slate, and Brandon Sklenar. The film resonates with many people worldwide due to its sensitive plot and the cast did a great job driving the message home.
It Ends with Us hit the theaters on August 9, 2024. The highly anticipated romantic drama film garnered mixed reviews from critics but audiences gave it a positive reception. Despite the mixed reactions, the film was a commercial success, closing its box office run with $341.3 million in earnings against a $25 million budget. It Ends with Us also made a statement with its ending, encouraging bravery among abuse survivors.
What is It Ends with Us About?
Directed by Baldoni from a screenplay by Christy Hall, It Ends with Us follows Lily Bloom (Lively) in her sweet and sour relationship with Ryle Kincaid (Baldoni). After her father’s funeral, Lily is ready to put the memories of watching her mom being abused at home behind her until she met and fell in love with Ryle, a handsome neurosurgeon. With her dream of opening a flower shop actualized and the man of her dreams by her side, Lily’s life seemed to be going well until things took a turn.
Ryle’s true colors manifest after Lily’s high school sweetheart Atlas Corrigan (Sklenar) shows up. As Lily’s lovely relationship with Ryle unfolds into a traumatic experience, she must take a brave step to save herself and their daughter. The movie adaptation of Hoover’s It Ends With Us twists the storyline to include a powerful ending that aims at encouraging domestic violence survivors to pick up the pieces and move on. It emphasizes the message that moving to a great life is possible after pulling out of a toxic relationship.
It Ends with Us is Inspired by a True Story
To a great extent, It Ends with Us explores the true story of Hoover’s parents. Though with a few changes in the film adaptation, Hoover’s book is based on the relationship between her mother and father which left her with traumatizing memories. Speaking about the bestselling piece, Hoover described it as “the hardest book I’ve ever written.” In a special “collector’s edition” published on April 18, 2023, a Q&A between Hoover and her mother gives readers an insight into the story that inspired It Ends with Us.
While it’s a romance novel, It Ends with Us explores themes of domestic violence and the devastation that comes with it. Nevertheless, the relationships are not devoid of honesty, compassion, and memorable romantic moments. Overall, the film shares a powerful message about the strength survivors of abuse are capable of. In addition to the enjoyable performances from the stellar cast, a lot can be learned from Lily’s struggles and bravery.
It Ends with Us Ending Explored
The ending appears to be the best part of It Ends with Us, passing the message that abuse survivors are not defined by their past traumas. The ending shows a renewed Lily raising her daughter away from her father because she wouldn’t want the child to witness he mother being abused as she did with her parents. Lily also has the best support system from her mother, Allysa, and looks lively again.
The icing on the cake is Lily and Atlas reconnecting after a while and both are single. Judging from how they looked at each other, the old flame may be rekindled and Lily will get the man of her dreams. Overall, It Ends with Us ended with a message that abuse survivors can move on to a happier life. It also sets up a potential sequel.
Update on a Potential Sequel For It Ends with Us
Following the August 2024 premiere of It Ends with Us, director Baldoni acknowledged the potential for a sequel, It Starts with Us. His Wayfarer Studios acquired the rights to both novels in 2019. The follow-up novel was published on October 18, 2022, and picks up from where the previous one stops. As such, the story focuses on the relationship between Lily and Atlas as they rekindle their love after so many years apart. Meanwhile, Baldoni hinted that he would not return as director for the sequel, pushing the role to Lively instead. Watch It Ends with Us on Amazon Prime Video.
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