Summer has been a golden season for indie horror, with breakout hits like Obsession and Backrooms crashing the mainstream, and Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma graduating from festivals to a national run. Now, as the leaves begin to turn, another indie sensation is revving its engine for a wide release. It Ends, a chilling road-trip thriller from Neon, is set to terrify audiences nationwide this week, and the studio has just dropped a final, nerve-wracking trailer to get you in the mood.
Written, directed, and edited by Alexander Ullom in his feature debut, It Ends premiered at South by Southwest last year, where it quickly became a word-of-mouth favorite. Ullom described the film as "a lot more about the emotional experience of being inside of a mystery than it is solving the mystery," a promise that the new trailer certainly delivers on. The film will expand to theaters across the country on August 28, following a limited run in New York and Los Angeles that began August 21. It also had a brief stint on the Letterboxd Video Store last winter, giving early adopters a taste of the dread to come.
What Is 'It Ends' About?
The trailer introduces us to four friends—Tyler (Mitchell Cole), Day (Akira Jackson), Fisher (Noah Toth), and James (Phinehas Yoon)—who set off on a post-graduation road trip. But a wrong turn strands them on an endless, desolate highway. They never tire, never hunger, and the gas gauge never moves. The only danger? Venturing outside the car, where a murderous mob awaits. Are they trapped in purgatory? A twisted dimension? Or just on a road to nowhere, and if so, what happens when they finally reach the end? You'll have to brave the theater to find out—and maybe reconsider your own travel plans.
Critics Are Loving It
With a stellar 94% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from 77 reviews, It Ends is already being hailed as one of the year's best horror offerings. Collider's Matthew Donato called it "a winning experiment that treads lightly regarding horror influences," praising its unique approach to the genre. If you're a fan of slow-burn psychological terror, this one should be on your radar.
For those who love a good scare, It Ends joins a long line of genre-defying thrillers that push boundaries. And if you're looking for something a little more lighthearted to balance the dread, check out our list of the most fun Marvel movies—though you might want to save that for after you've recovered.
It Ends is now playing in select theaters in NYC and LA, and expands nationwide on August 28. Don't drive there—trust us, you'll want to take the bus.
