Film adaptations of books often undergo serious scrutiny, especially by fans of the original novel. It Ends With Us isn't a film adaptation of just any ordinary book, it's a film adaptation of a book that sold over 8 million copies, spent 140 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list, and was the best-selling novel of 2023.
I'm sure you'll be seeing lots of reviews comparing and contrasting the film to the Colleen Hoover novel, but I'm here to give you an unbiased review of the movie as someone who hasn't read the book.
One of the standout aspects of It Ends With Us is its structure. As a teenager, it's easy to lose interest if a movie drags, but this film kept me engaged from start to finish. It kept moving and every scene felt essential to the story.
For instance, at the start of the movie, the main protagonist Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) couldn't think of anything good to say about her father at his funeral which gave us an insight into Lily's resentment towards her abusive father. The scenes of playful dialogue and alluring facial expressions between Lily and attractive neurosurgeon, Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni) makes the audience feel like a fly on the wall watching as their relationship begins to spark.
We are soon introduced to Allysa (Jenny Slate), a stay-at-home-wife to the wealthy Marshall (Hasan Minhaj). The two are a hilariously lovable couple. Allysa stumbles upon Lily's soon to be flower shop and inquires about a job as Lily cleans up the vacant property.
The revelation that Allysa is Ryle's sister adds an intriguing layer to the story as the four characters start hanging out together. The "will-they-or-won't-they" tension between Lily and Ryle, combined with Allysa and Marshall's hilarious dynamic, keeps the audience thoroughly entertained.
Not only does the film benefit from a strong supporting cast, leading lady Blake Lively's unbreakable yet gentle performance as Lily Bloom was the highlight of the film for me. She does an amazing job portraying Lily as a carefree and beautiful soul, both inside and out thus, making it easy to see why two handsome men would fall head over heels for her.
Moreover, the film introduces a love triangle when Atlas Corrigan (Brandon Sklenar) enters the scene, a key figure from Lily's past. Through flashbacks, we see teenage Lily (Isabela Ferrer)— caring for a homeless Atlas. The casting for Young Lily was spot on as she looks remarkably like a younger Blake Lively, down to the matching beauty marks.
Their connection blossoms into a tender romance. Now, years later, Atlas reappears as a waiter—or perhaps the owner—of the upscale restaurant that Lily and her now husband, Ryle, are dining at. His return is a pivotal plot device that elevates the story to new heights of tension and ultimately leads to a moving conclusion. The casting choices for Ryle and Atlas are also spot on with their contrasting looks, further emphasizing their difference in personalities: Ryle is dark and brooding which strongly differs with Atlas’s lighter, more approachable charm.
The love triangle in this movie is handled very sophisticatedly. Lily isn't just stringing two men along and Atlas isn't begging her to leave her husband for him but for her own safety and well-being when he notices signs of domestic violence in their marriage. And once Lily and Ryle are separated, Atlas takes care of Lily as she once did for him. His unconditional love for Lily shines through in his heartfelt line, "If you ever find yourself in the position to fall in love again... fall in love with me." It's a line that makes the audience fall in love with Atlas just as much as Lily does.
Along with playing the role of the main antagonist, Ryle, Justin Baldoni also directs the film. I thought the portrayal of domestic violence was handled sensitively and respectfully. The way the scenes are shot helps the audience understand why Lily doesn’t immediately leave Ryle after his first attack; they mirror Lily's own interpretation of the incident—she convinces herself they were accidents.
But after his final assault, the film revisits those moments from a clearer angle, and Lily comes to the painful realization that they weren’t accidents at all. He didn’t just jerk his hand and accidentally strike her, he deliberately smacked her to push her away and she didn’t slip down the stairs, he pushed her.
Once Lily and Ryle separated, the main thought on my mind was, 'What's going to happen to Lily and Alyssa's friendship?' The film addresses this sensibly. Alyssa tells Lily that as Ryle's sister she hopes Lily can forgive him for the abuse he's put her through, but as Lily's best friend she will never speak to her if she goes back to him. This moment is gratifying and speaks volume about Alyssa's character and how much she cares for Lily.
Everything in this film was handled with good taste from a mature, respectable love triangle to the heavy topic of domestic abuse because of the strong storyline by Colleen Hoover while under the brilliant direction of Justin Baldoni. No one else was better suited to lead the movie than Blake Lively. Her performance was captivating and her in-depth understanding of the character Lily Bloom charmed the audience.
Whether or not you've read the book, this movie is a must see.
