David M. Rosenthal-directed and Forest Whitaker starrer Netflix disaster drama How It Ends is neither a good thriller nor a drama. Set during some unknown geological apocalypse, I see the film as a simple road trip by two people who tries to reconnect, leaving aside their past.
The film follows an expectant father Will (Theo James) – an attorney by profession, who joins his estranged father-in-law Tom – an ex-marine (Forest Whitaker) in a cross-country journey to find the only person who ties them both Sam (Kat Graham), as the danger of apocalypse looms.
I kind of watched the film only because of the Academy Award winning actor Whitaker and his incredible body of work. However, the storyline of the film and the overall acting disappoints me.
First, when you build a scenario with a glimpse of some possible environmental disaster – it raises the bar. Secondly, the drama is simply built on a simple outline of human connection and emotion but nothing concrete to justify the title. It is kind of goes in vague.
Watch the movie trailer – How It Ends
How It Ends simply has no characterization; we really don’t know what this film is trying to convey. In the name of apocalypse, we get to see people trying to rob others on the road; there are animals and birds behaving weirdly; one person holding others at gun point to steal their gas supply; dust and smoke-filled cloud line; yet nothing really sets the tone of the story.
At one point, we are introduced with an additional character Ricki (Grace Dove), an automobile mechanic who joins Will and Tom but the character with some sudden self-realization leaves the company in the middle of a chaotic atmosphere.
It seems the film is written and directed by multiple people and so there is no convergence of ideas. The cinematography with few long shots tries to fill the gap, but then the film is not about the scenic beauty.
Moreover, the performances of both Theo James and Forest Whitaker were not convincing at all. What about the ending? Well, there is no explanation. You feel stupid after watching the movie.
Honestly, I find myself confused about the whole storyline and with the fact that Netflix is trying to fill its library with these kinds of movies. This is totally waste of time.
Cast: Theo James, Forest Whitaker, Kat Graham, Mark O’Brien
Directed by: David M. Rosenthal
Release date: July 13, 2018
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