In this day and age it is hard to go into a film blind when there is an endless stream of adverts, trailers and promotional materials everywhere on the internet. It is rare to discover a film that doesn’t really appear anywhere online, and yet even rarer to find out that such a film exists which actually holds up exceptionally well too. The End We Start From felt like that film. I had a vague presence of the films existence. I knew Jodie Comer was playing the lead role and I saw a few images of the film online but somehow I managed to avoid any type of trailer linked to the film. I therefore went into the film blind, and not knowing a lot about the film. The end result did wow me in ways I was not expecting.
The End We Start From is based off a book of the same name, so for those familiar to the source material may know what to expect. What I knew about the film before seeing it is that it is a survival drama based on the perspective of a young mother and her newborn baby after an ecological disaster. Since the release of The Last of Us on television last year, it appears we may see a lot more survival stories but this one didn’t go down the generic route of your typical survival thrillers. The End We Start From tries something different by showcasing everything through the perspective of one individual played by Jodie Comer who is never named.
This film is character driven and for those who know Jodie Comer’s work will know just how versatile and unique she is as an actress. Comer’s performance here feels raw, grounded and authentic. Any other actress may have made this performance more ego-centric but you do not get that with Comer. Comer’s character in the film goes through tragedy after tragedy and suffers a lot throughout the whole film, and yet Comer makes her character strong and resilient. Comer’s character is forced to survive in ways she doesn’t expect, and after just having a baby she has a sense of responsibility too that she is not used too. The end result is gripping, urgent and breathtaking.
The End We Start From’s concept is based off an ecological disaster hitting the United Kingdom, or more specifically London. The story then explores the effects this has on the people who get caught within this disaster. Other actors such as Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Joel Fry and Katherine Waterston all help elevate Comer’s performance, but also act authentic and grounded and it makes the story more intense. You don’t know how the film will end, and that makes the story all the more terrifying and real. The emphasis isn’t on the damage caused by the disaster, but instead the aftermath. The story does have some pacing issues, but by the end of the film you will feel captivated and emotional after the journey you have witnessed.
★★★★☆
4/5
Final Verdict:
Jodie Comer is a fantastic actress and The End We Start From is just another example of her impressive acting skills. She conveys so much emotion throughout the film and it helps us as an audience feel drawn into the world with a highly relatable performance. The End We Start From is a film you will not forget anytime soon, even if it does drag on a bit at the end. The human experience is what the film strives to convey and it is refreshing to see a different take and a different perspective on the survival drama genre. The End We Start From is a film you do not want to miss.
Thanks for reading today’s blog!
Alex Murray, the Head of Eyesight Productions
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