Directing: B+
Acting: B+
Writing: B
Cinematography: B
Editing: B-

What a title for me to use as my return to reviewing movies after months of reviewing nothing. Five months since my last posted review (Onward); six and a half months since my review of any movie in theaters (The Photograph)—to call 2020 a strange year, in any and all contexts let alone the movie industry, is the understatement of the century. And, like Onward, I did not see I’m Thinking of Ending Things in a theater, which had previously been my strict criteria for writing and posting movie reviews here (that, and that it be in its original theatrical run). But, unlike Onward, I’m Thinking of Ending Things actually is playing in a theater . . . somewhere. I found showtimes for it at a Landmark Theater in Chicago.

But, I live in Seattle, as do most of my readers, or at least most of them live in the Seattle area. Washington State multiplexes remain closed; most independent movie theaters remain closed; I’m Thinking of Ending Things is far too obscure a movie to be playing at any of the drive-in theaters that are once again in vogue.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is an extraordinarily odd movie, in more ways than one. The greatest irony of it may be that, even if it were playing in theaters, I would not tell a single person to rush out to see it there anyway. As it happens, it’s streaming on Netflix—which had been the plan all along. And of course, most of the time, I don’t bother with what I still consider basically “made for TV” movies that are streaming originals—unless! Unless, they get an Oscar-qualifying limited run at theaters. Think Roma (amazing), or The Irishman (fine, but overrated). If there were not a pandemic and the world were operating as normal right now, I’m Thinking of Ending Things would indeed have been at some movie theater accessible to me, however briefly, and I would have seen it, and written and posted a review. Hence, what you are reading right now.

And all that is just preamble to my telling you: I’m Thinking of Ending Things has something rather important in common with his 2008 film Synecdoche, New York. Which is to say, it’s really only for the die-hard Charlie Kaufman fan. It could be said that the writer-director has a cult following, but I don’t know that it’s a particularly huge one. I struggle to think of many people I know who would have the patience for this movie. I did, but that is because of my longstanding, hardcore fandom, and I come in with the mind of giving him the benefit of the doubt. That said, I had so many “huh?” moments in this movie that I am also wondering, am I starting to lose my patience with him? I gave Synecdoche, New York and A- in 2008; would I have done the same had it been released now? It’s hard to say. I should re-watch it.

Another curiosity: I’m Thinking of Ending Things has a 4:3 aspect ratio, which would fit right into a non-widescreen, standard television screen. That’s how it would be presented on a theater screen, at which I would have no doubt been forced to think about the choice, and how it feels expressly designed for television screens, and how it was made for Netflix to begin with. The thing is, even if I were to insist that everyone needs to see this movie (they don’t), I would still say that watching it streaming at home would be fine: this is not a film that commands large-screen attention.

Kaufman has a knack for claustrophobic narrative devices, after all. I’m Thinking of Ending Things boasts a very small cast, and maybe half the run time features only two: a young couple, only dating for six weeks, played by Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons. They are driving through a huge snowstorm to his parents’ house for dinner, and long stretches of the film are dedicated just to conversation between the couple as they drive in the car, both on their way there and on the way back.

I’d say the scenes at the farm house are the most compelling. The parents are played by Toni Collette and David Thewlis (the latter most recognizable as Professor Lupin in the Harry Potter series), and you can never go wrong with either of those actors. But, it’s not a Charlie Kaufman film unless things get abstract at best and off the rails at worst, and I’m Thinking of Ending Things straddles that line, getting so odd in the second half that I can’t decide if Kaufman has crossed that line, or has inexplicably skated so far away from it to allow for enough room to land some narrative triple axels. Very subtly at first, the narrative begins to play with time and, I suppose, “what ifs” in terms of the long term potential of new relationships started with misgivings or little resistance. And then, all of a sudden, you’re watching a naked old man walking down a high school hallway behind a talking cartoon pig.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is clearly dense and layered with meaning, and it feels very much like more of its meaning can be gleaned from multiple viewings. And in the moment, I was compelled by it, although that moved quickly to confusion in the final few sequences, which are either total claptrap or just flew over my head. Which is to say, I did not hate this movie, and I even enjoyed it broadly speaking, but I did not finish it feeling any compulsion to re-watch it in order to better understand it. It’s a Rorschach kind of a movie, where it’s easy to imagine one person finding it brilliant at the same time another person finds it infuriatingly pretentious. I fall somewhere in between, very much unsure of how great I think it is, but loving the performers nonetheless. It would be fun to listen to cerebral conversations about it between people who are smarter than I am.

Overall: B