“Dying, just takes a second. And a shitty life is long.”
In The Endless, brothers Aaron (Aaron Moorhead) and Justin (Justin Benson) have escaped a UFO doomsday cult to live on their own in normal society, although struggling to get by. One day, Aaron receives a cryptic video message from the cult that, in conjunction with his fond, childhood memories of life at the compound named Camp Arcadia, inspires him to ask his brother if they can return to the compound to visit. Justin reluctantly agrees and both brothers travel back, hoping to find closure. While there, they have mysterious and unexplainable experiences that force the brothers to uncover what is going on in the forested area in a race against time.
The Endless is partly an exploration of the duality of freedom; how the concept is simultaneously the most enticing state of being that humans can aspire to, and a terrifying venture out into the unknown. The debate over both sides is presented during a back and forth late in the film’s third act when Aaron reveals to Justin that he wishes to stay with the cult and the endless loop of time that is at the center of the mystery and in which the inhabitants of the forest are stuck in. Aaron rationalizes this by lauding the prospect of having a life with predictable comfort, free of uncertainty. Justin counters with the argument that real life, unlike the void, offers the possibility of change and difference, where you always have the opportunity to build something greater for yourself. This debate reminded me of a common thought process surrounding the afterlife, one I’ve often considered myself. Christian traditions like I grew up with offer the promise of eternal life, an existence without end and worry. Those who do not believe in a religious life beyond this one believe that once we’ve finished our time here, we’re gone for good. Both are similarly terrifying for me in differing ways. What makes life special is the possibility of new experiences, new challenges to conquer. You can wake up each morning with a new task to finish and new things can happen, such as another day among friends where you don’t know what you’ll talk about or do, or a new milestone reached at the gym or in your hobby. An eternal life in heaven where you’ve reached life’s climax and room to grow and experience something you haven’t before seemingly takes the wonder out of consciousness. On the other hand, an eternal sleep where there is nothing after and you’ve simply permanently lost consciousness as if you’re in an infinite slumber has its own drawbacks. This predicament at the crux of the conflict between the brothers at the center of the story is an interesting one and The Endless is presented in a way sure to make viewers ponder which side they come down on.
The other side of The Endless’ exploration of the concept of freedom comes through Aaron’s true reason for fighting Justin on leaving the cult; his need to exercise his freedom of choice. Justin has spent his life making decisions for his younger brother without consulting his opinions at all. By refusing to leave, knowing that it would force Justin’s hand due to his reticence to abandon him, Aaron was finally experience the power of having his thoughts and choices matter. For him, the freedom of a regular life outside of the cult and the endless loop of time where death repeats itself paled in comparison to the freedom to choose on his own to voluntarily alter his existence for the rest of time.
The film’s stars Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson are also its directors and the duo served up some satisfying visuals, including nice bits of visual storytelling. At the onset of the film, we see Aaron and Justin clad in their work uniforms, as workers for a business called Fresh Start Cleaners. I surmised that the inclusion of this insignia was no coincidence and as the film develops, it is evident that the term “Fresh Start” applies not only to their place of work, but to the endpoint of the journey we witness the brothers embark on. Their return to Camp Arcadia and unraveling the mystery that surrounds it and the mutual understanding they reach by the end results in a new beginning for their relationship where Justin fully respects Aaron’s autonomy and considers him to be a human being capable of making decisions and doing things without his help. And speaking of Camp Arcadia, its name is also a reference to the film’s themes and plot. Arcadia, a term derived from the province in Greece of the same name, has come to represent a sort of utopia where people live in harmony and oneness with nature. The inhabitants of the cult came to view their surroundings, and the mysterious force at the center of them, as a sort of salvation and godsend.
While The Endless does have an interesting theme to explore and consider, watching the film itself was not as entertaining as it could have been. The plot feels plodding, like it’s taking too long to unfold and present itself. The script is smart and well organized, but takes a while to pull you in and when it does, the hold isn’t as strong as you’d like it to be. Visually, Moorhead and Benson shoot some great scene transitions in the film featuring the main object or person in focus remaining static with only the background changing between shots through a quick cut. It fit in nicely with the film’s theme of time being manipulated and objects remaining the same while time around them shifts. It’s both a great technical aspect and yet another quality piece of visual storytelling. All in all, The Endless may be better suited for those who love and wish to support divergent, independent film rather than viewers just looking for something eye-catchingly entertaining on a Saturday night.
