On August 9th, 2024, a best-selling novel, It Ends With Us, was released as a movie. This movie stars actors such as Justin Baldoni, actress Blake Lively, and actor Brandon Sklenar. Justin Baldoni had also directed the film leading up to its release worldwide.
This film delicately brings out love, trauma, and self-discovery. The story focuses on Lily Bloom, who navigates through her rough past and present relationships. When she was a child, Lily had to deal with watching her mom get abused by her father. During that time she became friends with a boy named Atlas, who was also having a difficult time in his own personal life. He was struggling with being homeless after his mom kicked him out of their home. Later on in their relationship, Atlas and Lily parted ways after Atlas joined the military.
Fast forward to adulthood, and Lily ends up moving to Boston to pursue her lifelong dream of opening a flower shop. She meets a man named Ryle; they soon have an intense connection. As they start to fall deeply in love with each other, Lily starts to see the other side of Ryle that reminds her of her parents’ relationship. When Lily’s first love, Atlas, re-enters her life suddenly, her relationship with Ryle takes a turn, leaving her with an impossible choice.
Although the message behind the movie was meaningful, it wasn’t fully executed like in the book. There wasn’t much backstory and detail compared to the book. So without context, some scenes in the movie didn’t live up to the book scenes.
The movie explores a difficult topic that isn’t talked about enough, domestic violence. This movie made me realize we become so blind when it comes to the person you love, even in the worst moments, but at the end of the day, you have to choose yourself.
Despite the missing details from the book, I really liked It Ends With Us, and while it’s heartbreaking at times, it’s deeply moving. I definitely recommend watching it!
