Ah, The Endless—a film that manages to make your brain feel like it’s been folded, twisted, and then put through a cosmic washing machine. It’s a strange, quirky little sci-fi horror film that’s far too cerebral for its own good, but that’s exactly why it’s so fascinating. You start watching, hoping for some good ol’ fashioned horror, and before you know it, you’re waist-deep in a philosophical, existential nightmare about time loops, cults, and—of course—two moons. Yes, two moons, because why stop at one when you’re trying to break all the rules of reality?
Directed by Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who star as the lead brothers in this psychedelic journey into the unknown, The Endless is not a film you watch when you’re looking for answers. No, this is the type of film you watch when you want to leave the theater more confused than when you walked in. It’s that level of horror. It’s like the filmmakers sat down and thought, “What if we made a horror movie that was so confusing that people would have to watch it multiple times just to understand what the hell happened?” Spoiler: You won’t. But that’s the charm.
Plot: What Even Is Happening?
Let’s break down the plot in the most succinct way possible: two brothers—Justin (played by Benson) and Aaron (played by Moorhead)—return to the cult-like commune they grew up in, called Camp Arcadia. Why? Because Aaron’s convinced the whole place is an innocent little slice of peace, while Justin is pretty sure it’s a UFO death cult with a penchant for hypnotism and, well, time loops. Things quickly spiral from “nostalgic visit” to “this is definitely going to end badly” as the brothers uncover weird supernatural occurrences, endless loops of time, and two damn moons in the sky. Don’t ask me why there are two moons. Just go with it.
As they navigate this absurd nightmare, they meet a collection of characters with equally obscure motives, including a guy named Hal (played by Tate Ellington) who seems obsessed with physics equations that no one else really understands. Hal’s equation is supposed to explain the madness happening around them, but, spoiler alert: it doesn’t. It’s like they handed him a chalkboard, told him to make some stuff up, and hoped no one would ask too many questions. This is essentially the film’s philosophy: don’t think too much. Just let it happen. If you’re confused, you’re probably watching it right.
And then there’s the entity—oh, right, there’s an entity. I guess you could say it’s a sort of evil force, but calling it that is like saying the sun is just a big lightbulb. It’s a malevolent cosmic being that revels in the destruction of anyone who dares to get too close. But not in a fun way—more like in a “sacred ritual” kind of way, because why not add layers of baffling mythology to an already absurd premise?
The film eventually builds toward a climax where Justin and Aaron must try to escape the endless time loop that keeps resetting and making their lives more complicated. After some weird philosophical exchanges about free will, purpose, and the meaning of life (or lack thereof), they escape, but not before learning a very important lesson: sometimes the real horror is the inevitable—like realizing you’ve watched an entire movie only to have more questions than you started with. It’s kind of like living your life on a treadmill and only getting more tired without ever moving forward.
What Works: The Beautiful Confusion
While The Endless may leave you scratching your head in confusion, it does succeed in creating an atmosphere that feels downright unsettling. The cinematography by Aaron Moorhead is top-notch, as he effectively uses the backwoods of California (not to be confused with other backwoods horror films) to create an eerie, otherworldly atmosphere. It’s almost like watching a blend of Twin Peaks and The Twilight Zone if you threw in a supernatural horror element. The film’s pacing isn’t fast—this isn’t a slasher film, folks—but it’s methodical, building dread like a slow-cooked stew. You may not know what you’re eating, but it tastes mysterious. And maybe a little gross.
The performances, particularly by the two leads (Benson and Moorhead), are understated yet effective. They aren’t delivering over-the-top performances—thankfully, this isn’t The Room—but they manage to convey a certain realism, which makes the increasingly bizarre events feel, well, just slightly believable. The chemistry between the brothers feels genuine, making their growing frustrations with each other seem a lot more poignant amidst all the cosmic chaos.
The Ending: A Good Time for “What?”
And then there’s the ending. Oh, the ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but let’s just say it’s a masterclass in “making you wish you didn’t watch the movie in the first place.” You’re left with the kind of ambiguity that makes you immediately go onto Reddit to see if someone has figured it out—and when you find out that no one has, you realize that maybe The Endless is just here to make you feel like you’ve been punked. Maybe it’s art. Maybe it’s just lazy writing. Either way, it’s something you’ll talk about for hours afterward.
The endless loops of time may be the film’s biggest metaphor for its own narrative structure—like the way the film repeats itself in both the storyline and in its eerie mood. You’re trapped in this infinite loop of confusion, and the more you try to understand, the less sense it makes. But hey, isn’t that the point of horror? It doesn’t need to make sense. It just needs to make you feel something. And The Endless certainly succeeds in making you feel… something.
Final Thoughts: It’s Like a Horror Buffet That Overfeeds You
At the end of the day, The Endless is a movie that you can’t fully recommend unless you’re in the mood for something that requires a second viewing just to process what you’ve seen. It’s one of those films that prides itself on being weird, and if you enjoy a good mind-bender, you’ll probably enjoy it. If you don’t… well, you’ll likely end up like the cult members in the film—stuck in a loop of confusion and regret. But really, isn’t that what cinema is all about? Losing yourself in something so strange, it makes you forget your own name?
So, if you’re into films that make zero sense and require an unhealthy amount of mental gymnastics to appreciate, The Endless is right up your alley. For the rest of us? Well, we’ll just keep on watching and wondering what happened to the two moons.
