Movie Reviews: I’m Thinking of Ending Things and Unpregnant – Purcell Register

Not too much to talk about this week, so Ill just get right to the reviews.

This time around we have the latest film from the mind of Charlie Kaufman about a woman meeting her boyfriends parents for the first time, plus a road trip comedy featuring two teenage girls who journey hundred of miles all to get one of them an abortion.

Lets get to the reviews.

***

First up is Im Thinking of Ending Things.

Despite second thoughts about their relationship, a young woman (Jessie Buckley) takes a road trip with her new boyfriend (Jesse Plemons) to his family farm.

Trapped at the farm during a snowstorm with Jakes mother (Toni Collette) and father (David Thewlis), the young woman begins to question the nature of everything she knew or understood about her boyfriend, herself, and the world.

How can you review a film that you yourself cant even seem to get a basic grasp of?

Thats the dilemma Im facing right now as I attempt to talk about this movie.

I may be a complete rube, in fact I often suspect I am, but I honestly cant make heads or tails of this film.

This is the latest product of the mind of Charlie Kaufman, most famous for writing films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich.

Movies that eagerly delve into the minds of his subjects and what makes them tick, often in bizarre, and incredibly creative ways.

Take Being John Malkovich for instance. In the film, theres a hidden tunnel inside the half floor of an office building that leads directly to the head of a moderately famous Hollywood actor.

Thats an insane concept. But somehow in Kaufmans world, it all makes sense in some strange way.

I wish I could say the same for this movie though.

The premise on its own is pretty ordinary.

Its essentially a typical meet the parents kind of tale, or at least thats how the film presents itself in the beginning.

Were introduced to our young couple as they drive through a snow covered landscape on the way to visit the boyfriends parents.

Here were treated to a near nonstop internal monologue from Jessie Buckleys character, as she continuously contemplates calling off her relationship with her boyfriend. This thought process is occasionally interrupted by some brief exchanges with her boyfriend.

This scene goes on far longer than you might expect. Over 20 minutes in fact, but at the time it does seem to be establishing the relationship between our two main characters.

Eventually we find our way to the parents house, and this is where things really begin to take an odd turn.

Frankly, it almost feels like the setup to a horror film. Make no mistake though, this is not a scary movie.

You have two parents, played by Toni Collette and David Thewlis, both of whom are so ridiculously bizarre they hardly seem like real people at all.

In fact, that can be said of all the characters in this film.

Everyone here just seems off, both in the way they speak and their more subtle mannerisms.

It almost seems alien. Like if an extraterrestrial was trying to write a story featuring human characters.

This is clearly intentional by Kaufman, but for the life of me I couldnt tell you why.

There are no answers to be found here. Not on the surface at least.

Nothing is even subtly spelled out in the end. If youre looking for meaning here, you have to start digging. And this is just something my brain isnt very good at.

Finding metaphors in a larger narrative? Sure, I can manage that, at least on occasion.

But when theres nothing that feels real for me to latch onto, no characters who can ground me in the story and give me a firm footing, I have a hard time finding meaning in a narrative. No matter how profound it may be.

If that makes me a bad critic, then so be it.

I wish I could tell you what Charlie Kaufman was trying to say with this film, I really do.

Its painfully obvious theres some kind of deeper meaning in this films narrative. Therere so many odd little moments that relate to each other, so many random asides that come into play later in the film. It all feels too well crafted to be haphazard and random.

This narrative has to mean something to someone. But try as I might, I couldnt tell you what.

If this sounds like a movie that would be right up your alley, then by all means Im sure youll love watching and rewatching this film, piecing together its meaning frame by frame.

As for me though, I just feel stupid when it comes to movies like this.

Sure, I can appreciate the excellent, if exceedingly odd, performances, and the cinematography, which is very well done on a technical level.

But as a movie watching experience this just isnt my cup of tea.

Im Thinking of Ending Things is rated R and is available to stream on Netflix.

***

The other movie this week is Unpregnant.

Seventeen-year-old Veronica (Haley Lu Richardson) never thought shed want to fail a test. That is, until she finds herself staring at a piece of plastic with a blue plus. With a promising college-bound future now disappearing before her eyes, Veronica considers a decision she never imagined shed have to make.

This never-taken-lightly decision leads her on a 1000 mile hilarious road trip to New Mexico over three days with her ex-best friend, Bailey (Barbie Ferreira) where they discover sometimes the most important choice youll make in life is who your friends are.

Yep, this film is exactly what it sounds like.

Its a movie about a young woman who travels across four states to get an abortion, because the state she lives in wont allow her to get the procedure without parental consent.

So right off the bat, if the idea of a woman getting an abortion doesnt sit well with you, or the thought of a terminated pregency being protrayed in a positive light bothers you, this film will probably be a non-starter for you right from the get-go.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I have to say I had an absolute blast watching this movie.

Plot wise, this film isnt all that different from a typical road trip movie, or even coming of age adventures like Superbad or last years Booksmart for that matter.

You have our two main characters, both of whom as different as can be.

Theres Veronica, a fairly straightlaced 17-year-old, who loves sticking to a very strict schedule, and is completely focused on her image and her academic future.

Then theres her former best friend, Bailey, who is less concerned about how the world perceives her, and would be perfectly content spending her free time doing nothing but chatting with her online friends and playing video games.

These two gals have a great dynamic together and I had a great time following them from each location to the next, no matter how ridiculous, or real, the circumstances got at times.

Theyre just so natural together. You really do believe these girls have known each other their whole lives, even if they have had a falling out in recent years.

Im absolutely thrilled to see Haley Lu Richardson get another starring role after her incredibly charismatic performance in Five Feet Apart, a film which featured a teenage romance between two cystic fibrosis patients.

Even if I didnt think much of the rest of that movie, she definitely shined through in that film. And luckily it wasnt a fluke, because shes just as great, if not even better here.

As for Barbie Ferreira, this seems to be her first major role in a feature film. But after seeing her in this movie, Id be shocked if it was her last.

Barbie has a wonderfully natural comedic ability, and even the more dramatic scenes seem to come easily to her. Plus, as I mentioned before, her chemistry with Haley was off the charts.

And while Im talking about characters, I suppose I should mention Veronicas boyfriend Kevin, played by Alex MacNicoll.

Oh man, if theres a villain in this film, its definitely Kevin. Hes certainly one of the easiest to dislike characters Ive seen in film in awhile.

Hes a more subtle kind of jerk. Someone with a nice guy persona, who only thinks of himself, and is completely oblivious of anyone elses feelings. Especially his girlfriends.

And to Alexs credit, he played the role of Kevin quite well. So much so his character had my blood boiling multiple times throughout the film.

As I alluded to before, this film has a very pro-choice message, and many of the obstacles these two friends have to face are very real issues many women have to deal with, even if they are occational exaggerated for comedic purposes here.

Heck, the entire premise is pretty insane on its own.

Traveling 1,000 miles just to have a legal procedure done without worrying about the shame of telling your religious mother? Its crazy. Yet for many young women its a reality theyre forced to face on their own.

At its core though, Unpregnant is a fun, lighthearted, buddy adventure film. One thats often laugh-out-loud funny and had me smiling all the way through.

Is it a little predictable? Sure.

But the combination of a fresh twist and a strong message, plus two hilarious leading ladies make this comedy well worth seeking out.

Unpregnant is rated PG-13 and is available to stream on HBO Max.

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Movie Reviews: I'm Thinking of Ending Things and Unpregnant - Purcell Register

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Reviewed and Recommended by Erik Baquero
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