Opening 27 Mar 2025
Directed by:
Joshua Oppenheimer
Writing credits:
Rasmus Heisterberg, Joshua Oppenheimer, Shusaku Harada, Nathaniel Philip
Principal actors:
Tilda Swinton, George MacKay, Moses Ingram, Michael Shannon, Bronagh Gallagher
In director Joshua Oppenheimer’s own words, The End is a story “…about the uniquely human ability to lie to ourselves”. Following the collapse of humanity, six people are surviving in a salt mine where they have built a facsimile of an opulent home. There is a butler (Tim McInnerny), a doctor (Lennie James), a friend/maid (Danielle Ryan), mother (Tilda Swinton), father (Michael Shannon), and adult son (George MacKay). They have lived in relative peace in this environment for years, surrounded by some of the world’s most respected artworks while just outside the walls there is the stark cold, white surrounds of the salt mine. Their carefully crafted reality is soon shaken when an outsider (Moses Ingram) is found in the mine. Soon all sorts of secrets begin to emerge. Will the group be able to continue to co-exist or will their lies, both external and internal, tear them apart?
The End is certainly an odd piece of cinema. It has some of the most impactful and stunning cinematography, sound design, and lighting of any film made this year. Similarly, the acting of Michael Shannon, Tilda Swinton, and George MacKay are all a masterclass. However, the choice to make the film a musical, while original and at times very effective (particularly one scene where George MacKay is dancing through a salt mine comes to mind), in general it seemed to take away from the dramatic energy rather than expound upon it. The particular weakness was in the text of the songs, which often felt too simplistic and repetitive for the complex emotions of the scenes. However, despite its failings, at a time when it sometimes feels like it is difficult to find truly original cinema both in concept and execution, The End is like a breath of fresh air. It is certainly a film that will stick with audiences long after watching and begs the question of what we would be willing to sacrifice for our own personal comforts. (Rose Finlay)
