The End, 2024.
Written and Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer.
Starring Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, Moses Ingram, Michael Shannon, Bronagh Gallagher, Tim McInnerny, Lennie James, and Danielle Ryan.
SYNOPSIS:
After decades alone, a wealthy family living in a salt mine encounters a stranger.
The premise of acclaimed documentary filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer’s narrative debut The End invites a tantalizing scathing takedown of self-absorbed “I got mine, who cares about everyone else” wealthy elites, which shockingly never arrives. Instead, the director goes in the opposite direction with a character-focused post-apocalyptic musical tale, seemingly implying that such people are capable of self-reflection, can only delude themselves that they are good for so long, and can change their ways, all while dragging a Black woman stranger into the mix, warping that message further into something that doesn’t sit right by the time the credits mercifully roll.
Centered on a nameless family outlasting an unexplained apocalypse, having taken shelter in an underground bunker (which is more like a salt mine with a fancy home connecting those caverns), each member is varying degrees of selfish and unlikable. Given that recognizable names such as Tilda Swinton and Michael Shannon are in some of those roles as Mother and Father, one would be forgiven for assuming that perhaps some likability would shine through on behalf of their personalities as actors, but Joshua Oppenheimer (writing alongside Rasmus Heisterberg) is decidedly not going for that. These are mostly dry characters that have begun to believe their lies, whether it be tall tales to their stunted adult son (George MacKay) regarding Mother having been a Bolshoi dancer before the apocalypse or an uglier belief that sharing their sanctuary with any desperate outsiders stumbling by would unequivocally put them at risk.
One element that appears to be true is that Father was a successful energy tycoon who also happens to be writing a book to pass on to whatever is left of human civilization or the future. His recollection of history is warped, denying any responsibility for the climate change crisis. This also blends into the schooling of Son (entirely inexperienced with the outside world and society), as he is taught history through an elaborate diorama that sanitizes and smooths over atrocities with rose-tinted nostalgia goggles.
A stranger wracked with survivor’s guilt stumbles into the home, with the family prepared to do what they have always done in this situation: murder that person and remain narrowly focused on their safety. Fortunately for this stranger credited as Girl (played with moving sadness by Moses Ingram), the family hasn’t had to deal with such an incident in so long that they have gone soft, and don’t want to kill someone who doesn’t seem harmless, especially when their son (not to mention the butler and other associates) doesn’t understand how this person could be dangerous. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Son begins to feel something for Girl, especially as she slowly explains the realities of the world and its history, which naturally causes them to question everything he knows, including how that knowledge correlates to his family.
That might sound like a potential conflict, but The End isn’t interested in exploring it. Instead, it awkwardly uses this pained Black woman to open up each character enough to look within themselves and search for forgiveness and, to an extent, redemption. It is a bafflingly misguided creative choice for a film about wealthy elites, but that might not even be the most questionable decision here.
The End also aspires to be a Golden-age musical but isn’t particularly strong. Several moments simply don’t necessitate breaking into song, a flaw only compounded by dud lyrics and forgettable performances. Occasionally, there is some striking photography mixing in the bunker’s interior and panned-back shots from within the salt mine, but otherwise, this is a case of a filmmaker stepping into a cinematic arena he clearly isn’t equipped to handle. Just because there is some crossover with the types of stories Joshua Oppenheimer excels at telling through documentary form doesn’t automatically mean that he understands how to translate those qualities into a skillfully crafted musical. And while the prospect of Michael Shannon breaking into song is hilarious on the surface, if anything, it is another disappointing element in execution. The closest these songs come to eliciting any emotion is doing a number where Mother has a breakthrough and acknowledges unsavory past behavior toward her extended family.
It would also be disingenuous to say that there is no engaging drama here; every character, including the supporting players, has an unflattering past that is worth learning about, especially as it further contextualizes them. The frustrating part is that Joshua Oppenheimer is using such truthful revelations to get at whatever possible amount of redemption these characters can salvage and how much forgiveness they can extend to one another. Moses Ingram’s Girl doesn’t exist solely to change these characters for the good but also to join them. If that didn’t feel problematic enough, the majority of the songs are a chore to sit through. The End? Nothing but rejoice when it finally comes.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
