Adapted from the book by Iain Reid, i’m thinking of ending things mixes melancholy, surrealism and absurdity in a story about a woman meeting her boyfriend’s parents for the first time whilst also seemingly battling suicidal thoughts. As soon as you think that you have a handle on what is going on, something even weirder happens. The constricting 4:3 screen ratio means that you really focus on what is in the frame, and Kaufman really captures some interesting shots.
It really fits into the recent Netflix look as the production design makes the setting seem older and more vintage than it is, while the characters still have modern technologies. There is a strange humour to the meet-the-parents dinner and it takes the awkwardness to another level. Toni Colette as the mother gives a particularly unsettling performance. The narration at the beginning is a good demonstration of the inner monologues that people can be going through whilst a normal conversation is going on.
Nothing is ever quite what it seems and there is no obvious structure or resolution so it is an intense couple of hours with no satisfaction at the end, but it is what creates the surrealistic thrill that keeps you hooked until the end.
‘i’m thinking of ending things’ is available to stream on Netflix.
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