'It Ends' Review: No Exit, No Reason. A Triumph in Existential Horror
By Shauna Bushe - September 21, 2026
From the opening minutes, It Ends almost loses you, threatening to push you away before introducing its sharp, tight atmosphere that transforms into a 90-minute nightmare of which there is no escape from. What looks like a simple premise, becomes so much more, unfolding into a fresh, bleak piece of independent cinema that refuses to play by any rules.
What is 'It Ends' about?
Four recently college graduates go on a late-night drive, spending time together before their lives and paths diverge. During, they mistakenly take a turn down a remote, forested road that eventually turns out to have no exit, no turn around spot, just stretches infinitely ahead of them. Confined within their car, they face strange otherworldly entities and debate whether to accept their odd fate or keep driving.
It Ends operates like a nauseating, hopeless acid trip. Its cinematography feels immensely claustrophobic, locking the lens inside the suffocating parameters of a vehicle. Even when the camera manages to escape to the outside, shaky camera movements maintain a sense of disorientating panic. Ultimately leaving the vehicle as the only delicate sanctuary for both characters and the audience. Each tight angle, every invasive close up and added layer of heart-pounding score builds an overwhelming sense of fear.
The story of It Ends forces us to discover events in real time, right along side our characters. We are denied any breathing room, any minor clue as to what has caused this event, leading to a distressing ambiguity: we know only as much as the people trapped in their seats. You get a lot more from the films grim tone, the unpromising atmosphere, instead of being spoon-fed answers you can fully embrace the films dark premise. The real-time sequence transforms the narrative from a simple road trip into a visceral struggle. Their fear of the unknown is also ours, heightening the tension and with every reveal leaves the same jarring shock.
Where It Ends really takes on shape is showcasing how the group experience grief as a trapped collective, rather than individually. Their decent mirrors the 5 stages of grief in real-time: beginning with mutual denial, as they try to tune out their unravelling reality. Which quickly devolves into claustrophobic anger when no logical explanation can be found. Desperate to negotiate with the absurdity of their situation, their attempt at bargaining surfaces through dark humour, a shared defence mechanism against the overwhelming dread. Soon, a heavy depression settles over them as the sheer weight drains any hope culminating in acceptance that there is no rhyme or reason to what is happening. Bound together inside the confines of their car, the group are left with nothing to do but endure the ride to its end.
It Ends is a remarkable reflection on the human experience. Where you expect a simple road trip horror, instead becomes so much more through shared hope, desperation and friendship. Its bleakness leaves a pit in your chest, enhanced by memorable performances, dizzying cinematography and an unforgettable premise. You’ll be sitting with this one long after the credits.
'It Ends' released in US cinemas on August 21, 2026. Also available now on US digital platforms.
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Shauna Bushe
Writer
Shauna is always down to talk about movie lore, collector of all things physical media and driven by a life long love for horror cinema.
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