The End We Start From
As London is submerged below floodwaters, a woman gives birth to her first child. Days later, she and her baby are forced to leave their home in search of safety. They head north through a newly dangerous country seeking refuge from place to place.
- Released:
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Genre: Drama
- Stars: Ramanique Ahluwalia, Joel Fry, Katherine Waterston, Jodie Comer, Nina Sosanya, Gina McKee, Sinéad Trinnaman, Alexandria Riley, Jo Wheatley, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong
- Director: Mahalia Belo
Comments
- chrisjohntapp - 28 June 2024
Tedious studenty rubbish
Tedious, beyond belief. The whole film is entirely from the point of view of one woman. We never find out anything about the apparent catastrophe, all of that is left in the background apparently judged to be less interesting than watching the main character stare out of windows, eat soup, stare at her baby, or talk nonsense to some other boring woman.
Camerawork reminded me of student films, as did the score, a series of overpowering Steve Reichish noodles apparently designed to distract you from the fact we're just staring at the back of Jodie Whittaker's head, again.
None of the characters seemed remotely like real people, none of the situations were believable.
Awful student grade borefest, avoid at all costs. - paudieconnolly - 22 June 2024
Strong performance lost in unclear film
Jodie Comer puts in a strong performance with a strong supporting cast . Her desperation from the beginning to find a moment of safety and when finally it, releasing you need more than just safety is the driving force in this movie. The directing switches from post apocalyptic world and captures genuine stomach churning moment these are just moments. Then you're watching some National Geographic show on post flood Britain. Followed by long intervals of trying to betray characters feelings for the audience. All unnecessarily long ends up feeling like Part movie, Part nature documentary and finally exploration human emotion without capturing any of the three. Just does not seem sure from the directing what it was going to be. Get lost in directing strong moments instead of a whole film . But an interesting attempt on something different. - masonsaul - 21 June 2024
Character driven disaster movie
Like all the best disaster movies, The End We Start From understands that the most important aspect is making sure you care about the people who are trying to survive this possible apocalypse. Whilst it has its fair share of bleak moments, showing how quickly and violently civilisation can crumble, it's ultimately a hopeful disaster movie.
Jodie Comer is absolutely phenomenal in her finest cinematic showcase to date. She displays a whole range of emotions from the unbridled joy of having a child to the fear of never feeling truly safe in a constantly changing environment whilst having a really beautiful friendship with a super likeable Catherine Waterston. Her chemistry with Joel Fry is also endearing.
Mahalia Belo's direction can show the brutality of this changed world without wallowing in misery. The scale is pretty impressive, especially considering the low budget and it ends on a final shot that makes the whole thing coalesce. The score by Anna Meredith really stands out because it doesn't sound like anything else in the genre. It's so modern and understated. - JoshuaMercott - 10 March 2024
Impactful Climate-Uncertainty Message
The Climate Crisis paid a fictional visit to London, and "The End We Start From" was the result. Adapted from the novel by Megan Hunter, the movie captured a realistic slice of the chaos and confusion that might follow in the event of extreme climactic events in Britain's capital city.
A woman (whose name is never quite revealed throughout the movie) and her hubby struggle to survive a Climate-Emergency event - a flood, to be precise - with their newborn son Zeb.
Jodie Comer did notable work as this woman. Her uncertainty and anxiety complemented the portions where she had to be strong for the sake of her baby. Her survivor's guilt added to a captivating performance.
Her husband and new-father Joel Fry had an empathic and engaging screen presence. It was amazing to see him act out a father's fears; he was so raw and candid.
Every other character, just as nameless as them, contributed something of value to the plot in "The End We Start From". Some of the most memorable names I observed in the movie included Benedict Cumberbatch (as a survivor), Mark Strong (as Zeb's grandpa), Gina McKee (as a commune member), and Katherine Waterston (as a shelter-mom).
The idea that large cities don't necessarily suffer the worst of the Climate Crisis has been a long-dead myth. Real-life events and reliable news outlets have covered the ravages of our changing climate on not just outlying or rural areas but also metropolitan hubs like London; among others.
Floods have affected so many major cities - Indian ones like Chennai, Mumbai, and Calcutta, as well as numerous other global locations - that to remain in denial is to accept defeat.
"The End We Start From" was smart enough not to take the easy route or offer convenient movie-style solutions. This is, after all, a complex global issue that needs a united and urgent effort to see positive change.
In this plot, the lack of such effort - or worse, indifference toward it - led to a flood in London. Not that it was a far-fetched idea, either. Flooding in London has been ongoing in the real world for some time now.
This movie brought it all back full circle, further emphasizing the message conveyed by Climate Action protestors about lazy politicians who don't seem interested to risk their oil-and-gas investments so they can, well, save lives that are being directly affected by their fossil-fuel induced greed.
I liked how they didn't shy from showing some of the more challenging sides of being pregnant, that too during a flood situation.
It was equally admirable to watch how they didn't sugarcoat the extent of the damage and danger that unmitigated Climate Change can wreak in the lives of everyday people, especially how disaster-driven starvation and fear can make people uncertain and doubly dangerous.
From unmitigated pollution, which is still changing various warming and cooling conditions on Earth, to how little is being done to stop or stave off some of the serious negative impacts of Climate Change, "The End We Start From" presented a tiny peek into a future that is already upon us.
In real life and in this movie, the Climate Crisis has proven that it has the power to make people refugees in their own land. They are left facing uncertainty and peril, particularly from their own people.
This, in itself, should be a wakeup call to us all, that if those in power don't do something and fast, we are one step away from becoming beasts and barbarians. - Boristhemoggy - 8 February 2024
I was impatient for the end
A woman tries to find her way home with her newborn while an environmental crisis submerges London in floodwaters.
I think this film does not know what it wants to be. It's very pretentious, with lots of sombre scenes that don't mean anything, to a far-too-loud score that is overly dramatic, to interactions that don't really mean anything.
It hints at times of the breakdown of society, and the lack of Govt strategy to deal with the problem, and the stoical resolve some people show in getting back to normal. But they are inferred by me rather than implied by the film. I think if the film has a point then it is only one that was invented by the watcher to make sense of it.
The acting isn't too bad throughout but I don't think they really have much to work with. There's very little dialogue and much of what there is can be confusing. Interactions between people seem to be standalone murals which the director hopes look impressive but have no real connection to the story. There's also some very weak plot lines which seem to go nowhere and it feels as if they were just an idea that didn't last.
I watched it simply because Jody Comer put her name to it and I expected it to shine because of her but sadly, I think she picked a pig in a poke with this one.
It's not vile, it's not dire, it's simply not very good. The worst thing is it is tedious and monotonous including having to turn the volume down all the time for the silly soundtrack and then back up again for the dialogue.
It's not the worst film I've ever seen but I won't ever feel the need to watch it again.
