Oh brother.
Picture if you will, two brothers trying to make ends meet. They’re both recovering from years of indoctrination in what they remember as a UFO death cult. They can’t seem to make it in the real world except scraping the bottom of the barrel. Then one day, a tape arrives. A video invitation to see the old gang again, all of them alive and well.
Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead take the lead as the two brothers Justin and Aaron in The Endless. Justin also wrote the script. Rather than portray the brothers as average joes, the movie shows distinct personalities and reveals their sibling dynamic so well we’re familiar with them even before anybody else is introduce. We know Justin is the one that needs to be in control and Aaron the more lenient one. We know what to expect from each one, and can tell when something bothers one and appeals to the other.
Aaron is willing to believe the invitation is genuine, besides he’s tired of life outside and is nostalgic about his past life. Against his better judgement, Justin agrees to go as well. Isolated communities living in the middle of nowhere seems like a good horror recipe, but what ends up transpiring is surreal. It’s so well done that… Yeah, I can’t really tell you.
The commune receives them with open arms. There’s no sideway glances, there’s no threats. Whatever is a bit off, it’s not their intentions. You genuinely believe they’re willing to take the two brothers back. Then things go from being a bit weird to plain bizarre. There’s strange phenomena happening all around the area. And seems to go around for the interesting characters that live nearby all the time. The results are shocking, thrilling, hilarious and trippy.
Extremely recommended. The movie has all these sort of little stories circling the main one that are revealed in tidbits. It’s like a full basket of easter eggs that refills itself. The story threads are enough to get lost but dammit, it’s so satisfying to find the other side of the thread further along. I know it seems it doesn’t make sense, but it does. It’s one of most carefully crafted movies in Fantasia this year and a delight to unravel.
That will do for now.
Never Think Impossible 