If you’ve ever heard of Ian Reid’s horror novel I’m Thinking of Ending Things, then you likely know about it’s weird and disturbing plot and its disappointing ending. Now, director Charlie Kaufman is adapting the book in a highly stylized and terrifying way, as we can see in the first trailer:
The film follows “girlfriend” (no, she does not have a name) as she goes with her boyfriend Jake to meet his parents. Jake doesn’t know that his girlfriend is thinking of ending things, planning to do so after the visit. When they arrive, things are immediately off. Jake’s parents hold themselves strangely and laugh at weird times, the family dog won’t stop shaking, and they have photos of the girlfriend as a child in their home. And it only gets stranger from there.
The book definitely has some weird moments, but it looks like Kaufman is going to be expanding on it with more visual language, especially in the final scenes at the school. Jesse Plemons is a great choice for Jake, who always play great villains and overly serious characters. Toni Collette as Jake’s mom is also a great choice, as she manages to be incredibly unnerving, especially with that laugh. We will have to see what ends up being added, and if Kaufman has found a way around the disappointing ending.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things premieres on Netflix on September 4, 2020.
