If there was ever a big year for musicals, then this year would be that year. From stellar Broadway adaptations like Wicked to the unorthodox Emilia Pérez, audiences have become accustomed to watching more musicals. Yet, in a time where it seems like the world is going under, some might look for a musical that’s perfectly timely. Luckily, The Act of Killing‘s Joshua Oppenheimer has proudly delivered a thematically insightful movie that’s certainly relevant: The End. As this marks the first time Oppenheimer is tackling a different kind of film, it’s potently tragic and uplifting. Albeit, even if it feels long.
The End follows a survivalist family after the inevitable collapse of human civilization. While they live a mostly peacefully, their utopian lives get upended by an unexpected arrival: a Girl (Moses Ingram) from topside. With their orderly livelihoods at stake, Mother (Tilda Swinton) and Father (Michael Shannon) try to adjust to this new variable in this firm equation. However, Son’s (George MacKay) curiosity gets the better of him, leading to an unexpected turn of events.
Though this isn’t the first apocalyptic musical, The End certainly tries to stand out with its ideas. For one, it very much questions the idea of “ignorance is bliss” through the emotional evolution of MacKay’s Son. Since the downfall of mankind, Father has been consistently trying to gaslight Son into believing his revisionist way of life. MacKay’s performance as Son really makes this interesting as he has this suppressed childlike wonder that’s being manipulated by everyone around him. His convincing expressions and imposing presence make one think that he could be viable of change. However, his soft-spoken nature really makes the Son a unique character.
His chemistry with Swinton’s Mother and Shannon’s Father has this peculiar feeling of oddness to it. Initially, Mother is this way too overbearing figure as she always acts meticulous. Swinton gives Mother this unease that makes her a character one that can’t fully be trusted. However, The End shifts her personality in a way that gives her a sympathetic factor. It really feels like she wants to be free of something, yet she’s too far into her life.
As for Father, he seems more of the caring type as compared to Mother. Shannon really makes Father an empathetic character in the beginning, especially when Girl is introduced. However, one can’t help but also feel like something’s wrong. There’s a few teases that suggest he might be maliciously hiding something. At the same time, he gives off this warm feeling all throughout that really resonates deeply. He’s a sentimental man, but his way of revisionist thinking helps make him complex.
When Girl gets introduced, there’s this instant shift in change. Everyone, from the main family to their friends, seems to want her gone. Yet, there are some characters, like Friend (Bronagh Gallagher), who offer their aid to build that connection. Friend is perhaps the most morally good out of everyone as she’s completely honest. This is especially so in the last few scenes of the second act. Here, she truly becomes passionate about doing the right thing with a song that manages to stick. By doing so, Girl’s bond with Son starts to become interesting.
The way that the Son and Girl’s relationship is built in way that feels very tense. They’re continuously thrown into these situations where they’re tested by Mother and Father to see how Girl can fit in. However, these “tests” prove to be very limiting in trying to give the Girl more depth as the film only allows tidbits of her backstory to be revealed. Rather than exploring her circumstances above, The End tries to keep things as subtle as possible. Unfortunately, it results in that emotional connection in Girl less present in the film’s second act. However, the Son’s youthful behavior and the Girl’s knowledgeable attitude really carries this dynamic.
Moreover, the musical songs are mostly enjoyable, if somewhat feeling weird. MacKay and Ingram are a joy to watch whenever they share a song together, especially when they begin exploring their bond. The long takes in this isolated cave system make each song have this unique eeriness, with enlightening visuals slowly crashing with the bleakness. Some songs, particularly the character-focused songs, feel particularly stiff, especially with the Father having this realization. The movements of these characters in these songs just feel like they’re hindered by an overbearing force. Nonetheless, The End still takes grace in providing some interesting tunes about forming connections, like with the Friend’s song.
In The End, Joshua Oppenheimer confidently delivers a duly-needed message of fostering community through Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, Michael Shannon, and Moses Ingram. Sure, at times it might feel like a trek once the first act finishes up. However, it still has depth and interesting character relationships to make it stand out. As his first actual film, Oppenheimer fully succeeds in making a dynamic musical.
The End releases in Los Angeles and New York on December 6 and in select theaters on December 13, 2024.
