The Endless (2018) Film Review — A Splendid Cosmic Horror Feature
“Definitely Culty.”
Why are we here? Just to suffer? The infinite cycles of reality at the behest of beings unfathomable to man where spacetime is merely an object utilized malevolently; to toy and trap ad infinitum, bypassing mortality and sealing fate. A suffocating nightmare — inescapable. Yet, despite the insurmountable obstacle present, the unwavering spirit and the unabashed rebellion of mankind strides on with and for each other. One truly is the loneliest number but it only takes one more to remedy that. Such are the evoking thoughts of one at the end of the Shitty Carl Trilogy’s journey.
The Endless, the magnum opus (thus far) of Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson, fittingly stars the duo as two brothers barely getting by in modern times when the past they deemed long over comes knocking back. As survivors of a presumed UFO suicide cult, a videotape surfaces compelling them to return and figure out the reality of their past for what it is rather than what they remembered.
During a time not long ago (literally a few months back) when my penchant for Cosmic Horror was at its peak, The Endless became my favourite of the lot that I binged alongside the excellent The Empty Man. A micro-budget classic in the genre showcasing once again the talent, skill, creativity, and cerebral acumen of Moorhead and Benson. What starts as a slow-burn exploration of the occult with eerie intrigue and occasional deadpan humour befitting of brothers, evolves into a mind-numbing existential extravaganza, all within the confines of a small budget.
The performances from the other cast members — most notably Tate Ellington — were appropriately strange with the given information and circumstances evoking an uncertain unease. You want to paradoxically trust them and their contentment in this Definitely Culty commune while the back of your head is constantly on guard. The pacing was justifiably calm reeling you in with a false sense of security despite you knowing things will go awry. How and why? That is the full-course meal to be consumed.
Within financial restraints, Moorhead and Benson — as with Spring and Resolution prior — manage to script raw and natural dialogue, and direct themselves and others for verisimilitude, enhancing immersion and groundedness — loved the atmosphere. Behind the camera and the cutting room, the visuals and scenes flow smoothly and every frame counts. It’s one of those films that warrant a rewatch to pick up on tiny details and then hypothesize ad nausea online. Also, the connection with Resolution is sublime and was one of the best moments in the entire feature elevating both films in retrospect.
The ignominious Shitty Carl — an enigma in his own right, a legend of the downtrodden and the weary — with the mythological shittiness is given more than a name drop and the circumstances provoking the shitty shittiness of Shitty Carl are harrowing and validate the excrement exuding shitty behaviour. I may jest but deep down we are all shitty carl. Carrying on and furious in our ways, understanding as much as we can knowing we know little, and the more we know, the more there is to know and the less we feel we know. Insignificant significance in the vastness of eternity. James Jordan delivered.
As was the case with Spring but pronounced more here due to the scale of the story, I do wish the duo had higher funding for the CGI portions. Amongst superb filmmaking, the VFX do stick out like a sore thumb even if they do their part satisfactorily. I sure would love to see what the team would have done with a larger budget. Perhaps in another universe.
Thus, the cycle comes to a close; the end of the road for the Shitty Carl Trilogy. A superb conclusion standing alone firmly and tieing together to previous outings creatively. Since I did watch this first, retrospectively, it has been a spiralling ride of befuddlement, rumination, endearment and appreciation. The genre of Cosmic Horror rarely hits on all cylinders but when it does, the entertainment and engagement are splendid. I tip my hat to Moorhead and Benson as well as the entire cast and crew. Highly recommended provided you know what you’re in for. And if I were to rate The Endless, I’d give it a 9/10 (might bump it to a 10/10 upon rewatch).
P.S. The Universe/God decided to bless me as while I was typing my thoughts, I came to know that the duo released another film at the end of 2022 i.e Something In The Dirt. So, I’m psyched and can’t wait to check it out. Here’s to hoping it’s closer to The Shitty Carl Trilogy than Synchronic. *fingers crossed*
