I went into this movie with very low expectations. I had read (and re-read) It Ends with Us, so I already knew what I was getting in to. The problem with that is that I could see the movie’s potential. 

With this movie, there was a lot that I honestly just didn’t have emotions for, but there was a lot that also hit the nail on the head. This is not a lighthearted movie to watch. This is not a movie to watch if you have experience abuse, sexual assault, or domestic violence and watching it onscreen would potentially trigger you. This movie is raw and real and so hurtful at times that you want to pull yourself out of it and take a breath. 

So, let’s get started with my actual review. I want to start with the characters before anything else. Ryle was probably the worst developed character in the movie in my opinion. Why, you ask? Because the way he was written in a way where you could already see his temper and character before anything is actually revealed. Lily was a little more likable than Ryle and Blake Lively killed many of the highly emotional scenes in this movie (I was full on sobbing at points). One of my favorite characters, though, was Ryle’s sister, Allysa (Jenny Slate). There were many things that made me like her character, but Jenny Slate really sealed the deal with her charismatic personality. 

As far as the plot goes, this book (and movie) has been marketed a lot like a love story. The thing is, though, that this book is NOT a love story. If anything, it’s a self-love story. Yes, there is a love triangle, but does it take center stage? Absolutely not because Ryle’s character was highly unlikeable from the start. Atlas, in the movie, didn’t have enough screen time for us to really fall in love with him. So, our plot follows Lily as she falls in love with Ryle, but finally sees the long lost childhood love of her life, Atlas and things get rocky from there. Like I said, there’s a love triangle in the movie and book, but to me, there really wasn’t ever one to begin with. 

As far as the adaptation went, I felt like it was pretty decent. I think we can all agree that the movie will never be as good as the book. However, they really stayed true to the heart of the story in my opinion. I’ll talk a little more about that in the spoilers below. 

Spoilers ahead.

Okay, I’m going to go ahead and sum up my thoughts and spoilers that I absolutely have to talk about because they hit so hard. 

• At one point in the movie (this is not a huge spoiler, but a spoiler nonetheless), Lily mentions that she is not a reckless snacker. It’s me. I’m the reckless snacker. That whole conversation had me dying in laughter. 
• Okay, so with Ryle? Yeah, I felt like you could see the abusive parts of him from the beginning so I never even felt for the dude. I feel like this decision really takes away from the nuanced nature of his character and the trauma he was hiding behind. In the movie, it just made him seem like he was always going to be the villain and that kind of hurt me for him (don’t come at me for feeling sorry for the dude; childhood trauma really messes you up). 
• Atlas did not have as much screen time as I wanted. I feel like you barely even got to know the dude, so it was hard to find emotions for him either. 
• Allysa is an absolute angel for saying that she would never speak to Lily again if she got back with her brother. A lot of people complained about this scene for making unrealistic presentations of domestic abuse and talking to family members about it, but honestly, what’s wrong for portraying how it should be? I get that it might seem highly unlikely that she would side with Lily instead of her own brother, but that’s how it should be in real life. Lily was a victim as much as Ryle was a victim of his trauma. Allysa could see that and I never understood what was so wrong with that. 
• So, I mentioned sobbing like a baby. Of course, I have to tell you the moment it happened. After Lily gave birth to Emerson, she and Ryle were staring down at the tiny baby they created together. Then, Lily asks for a divorce while he’s holding the baby. Blake Lively gave the BEST FREAKING PERFORMANCE EVER as she told Ryle, what if your daughter came to you and said someone was hurting you? What if she said that the man she loved got on top of her even after she begged him to stop? I sobbed y’all. It hurt so much but it was such a powerful scene. I have a daughter of my own and it really just broke me. Because really, everyone that we hurt is someone’s family. Everyone that we victimize has someone who loves them. We wouldn’t want that to happen to those that we love so why do we do it to others? Tangent, I know, but it really breaks my heart that people can be abusive and cruel and downright evil to other human beings. 

Overall, this movie is a solid 4/5 stars for me. I truly enjoyed it even if I got no romantic enjoyment from it. You’re basically looking for the deeper meanings (that is the true center of the movie and book). If you feel like you want more romance, go pick up It Starts with Us, the follow up to It Ends with Us where you finally get to see Lily and Atlas try to be together. 

Where to Watch: In Theaters