Colleen Hoover’s literary empire has finally breached the cinematic world with the adaptation of It Ends With Us. For a writer of her immense popularity, the journey to the silver screen, or more accurately, streaming platforms, felt overdue. Her intensely emotional and romantic storytelling seems tailor-made for audiences seeking that post-Bridgerton fix.
While I approach this film as someone outside Hoover’s dedicated fanbase—unfamiliar with her novels and expecting a certain level of saccharine melodrama—the movie largely delivered on those expectations. It Ends With Us presents itself as a vehicle for overt emotional expression, likely underscored by a Taylor Swift-esque soundtrack, all set against an aesthetically pleasing, upper-middle-class backdrop. And in many ways, it adheres to this formula.
Before diving into the narrative’s complexities and emotional landscape, a pressing question for many viewers is: How long is It Ends With Us movie? The film clocks in at a runtime that is fairly standard for romantic dramas, ensuring it’s not an overly lengthy commitment for its target audience.
While the exact runtime details can vary slightly depending on the source, the generally reported runtime for It Ends With Us is around [Insert actual runtime here once verified]. This duration positions it comfortably within the typical range for films in its genre, allowing ample time to explore the interwoven storylines and emotional arcs that define Hoover’s work.
Alt text: Blake Lively portraying Lily Bloom, the protagonist of ‘It Ends With Us’, in a scene showcasing her character’s thoughtful and emotional depth.
The movie opens with Lily Bloom, portrayed by Blake Lively, returning to her hometown for her father’s funeral. This return forces her to confront deeply buried traumatic memories, so potent that she struggles to recall even five positive attributes for her father’s eulogy. Moving back to Boston, Lily embarks on a new chapter by opening a flower shop—a detail that feels almost too on-the-nose given her name, a point seemingly acknowledged with a touch of self-awareness during her meet-cute with Ryle Kincaid.
Ryle, played by Justin Baldoni (who also takes on directorial duties), is the quintessential desirable lead: a handsome, wealthy neurosurgeon, predictably portrayed as a reformed womanizer ready to settle down for Lily. Adding to the interwoven connections, Lily’s path crosses with Allysa (Jenny Slate) while setting up her shop. Allysa, a seemingly idle rich socialite, spontaneously decides to seek employment and friendship with Lily, and conveniently, she is also Ryle’s sister.
This character, Allysa, introduces a slight detour into the narrative. Questions arise concerning her motivations and independent life outside her marriage to Marshall (Hasan Minhaj). However, It Ends With Us swiftly redirects its focus back to the central relationship between Lily and Ryle, and how it is shadowed by two pivotal past experiences: Lily’s childhood witnessing her father’s abuse of her mother, and her adolescent romance with Atlas (another symbolically charged name).
Alt text: A romantic scene from ‘It Ends With Us’ featuring Justin Baldoni as Ryle Kincaid and Blake Lively as Lily Bloom, highlighting the on-screen chemistry between the lead actors.
The film employs a dual timeline structure, interweaving present-day events with flashbacks to Lily’s teenage years (portrayed by Isabela Ferrer) and her relationship with a young, then-homeless Atlas (Alex Neustaedter). Initially, this parallel narrative serves to provide backstory and context. However, the charm and wit of the interactions between adult Lily and Ryle significantly overshadow the somewhat cliché and sentimental tone of the teenage romance storyline.
The narrative takes a turn with the re-emergence of Atlas as an adult, now played by Brandon Sklenar. He is depicted as successful yet retaining a sense of vulnerability, rekindling feelings of teenage infatuation in Lily, who has evidently not fully moved on from their past. This re-entry of Atlas coincides with subtle shifts in Ryle’s character, hinting at a darker side and raising concerns that Lily might be repeating her mother’s history.
Here, the film grapples with two distinct thematic layers. One layer explores the complexities of past relationships and their lingering impact on the present. In this aspect, It Ends With Us falls short of nuanced explorations seen in films like Past Lives, which meticulously examined how personal evolution shapes our perception of past memories. Questions regarding Lily’s personal growth since her time with Atlas, her dating history, and personal development remain largely unaddressed, indicating a reluctance to delve deeper beneath the surface.
Alt text: Flashback scene from ‘It Ends With Us’ with Isabela Ferrer as young Lily and Alex Neustaedter as young Atlas, depicting their formative relationship in Lily’s past.
The second, more prominent theme is domestic violence and its cyclical, generational nature. This sensitive subject is approached with a somewhat heavy-handedness that is both perplexing and impactful. While the film doesn’t delve deeply into the intricate psychological repercussions of domestic abuse, it effectively, albeit unsubtly, portrays the dynamics in a way that could resonate with individuals who have experienced similar situations. This directness makes certain scenes difficult to watch, yet it stems from a place of earnest intention.
Ultimately, It Ends With Us aims squarely at its target demographic. Even the climax of the film is set to a Taylor Swift song, delivering precisely the emotional payoff its audience anticipates. Up until the film’s conclusion, it could be considered a passable, if melodramatic, piece. Baldoni’s direction leans heavily into melodrama, with each scene visually echoing the stylized aesthetic of Hoover’s book covers. The performances are earnest, matching the film’s overall tone. It’s not inherently offensive, simply leaning into well-trodden romantic drama tropes.
However, the film’s resolution introduces a problematic element. It veers into a simplistic and somewhat harmful territory, embodying elements of the “I can fix him” trope combined with a paternalistic “what would you do if this was your daughter?” scenario. This approach promotes a patronizing and potentially damaging rhetoric that can offer absolution to abusers. The film suggests growth as a solution, neglecting to address the underlying power dynamics inherent in abusive relationships. If Lily’s approach to the situation is reflective of the film’s ultimate message, the cycle of abuse is unlikely to truly end.
Verdict: While It Ends With Us, with its [Insert actual runtime here once verified] duration, largely delivers the tearful, sensual, and emotionally charged experience its audience expects, its concluding message undermines its potential. It earns a 1.5 out of 5. While likely to satisfy fans of the book with its surface-level emotional catharsis, the film’s resolution offers a cheap victory at the expense of a more meaningful exploration of its complex themes.
