BookTok has become an outlet for avid readers to share recommendations and discuss novels that draw them in with their sharp storytelling. Although authors likeEmily HenryandSarah J. Maashave seen their penned efforts skyrocket in sales due to their popularity on TikTok,Colleen Hooverremains one of the writers with the most visibility on the platform and in bookstores. Her novel,It Ends With Us, took overthe top spot on 2022’s bestseller list. With millions of copies sold, it is daunting to picture a book that has resonated with many getting transported to the big screen in a way that maintains the same nuance and sensitivity as its source material. Yet, inJustin Baldoni’s careful hands,this onscreen adaptation similarly strikes the core.
The film follows Lily Bloom (Blake Lively), a vibrant florist who moves to Boston after her father’s funeral and crosses paths with a womanizing neurosurgeon named Ryle (Baldoni). Although his charming and flirtatious presence captivates the protagonist from their very first interaction on a rooftop, they go their separate ways, leaving it to fate to reunite them. After opening her floral shop and hiring Allysa (Jenny Slate), Lily reconnects with Ryle through her co-worker. The two fall for each other in a passionate and consuming manner. Yet, despite the smiles and mismatched outfits, the protagonist grew upwitnessing domestic violence at home and soon sees history repeating itself in her own relationship.
Blake Lively Thrives As a Woman Trying to Break Free From a Violent Cycle in ‘It Ends With Us’
AlthoughIt Ends With Usreaders were skeptical to see thatan older cast was lined upfor the novel’s screen treatment (myself included), the final product makes it clear that aging up the characters was for the best. Lively’s Lily starts off high-spirited and sassy, trying hard not to give into Ryle’s blunt pick-up lines. She knows what she wants in a partner, and being the next item on his extensive list of flings isn’t it. Lily is only convinced to be with Ryle after he is ready to embark on a committed relationship. Her transition from being a confident woman in love to a fearful and distraught victim is evident through Lively’s performance.TheGossip Girlalumtaps into her most challenging role to date with reverence, taking it upon herself to bea voice for the women watching her character’s story take a violent turn. Despite the Lily onscreen being in her thirties, as opposed to the book, her experience feels more universal and gut-wrenching considering her level of maturity and strong-willed personality.
Justin Baldoni Meticulously Trails a Sensitive Subject, Never Making It Exploitative
When a topic like domestic violence is incorporated into a story, it can come out as faulty, and sometimes exploitative. That isn’t the case here, and it’s due to Baldoni’s direction and portrayal of Ryle. Like Lily, the audience finds the character amusing and roots for the couple’s electric connection, but once things go south between them, the director draws the line. In a sense, Baldoni’s take on the source material is even better when dealing with this theme than Hoover’s novel, because it doesn’t spend time redeeming Ryle from his actions.The character’s behavior in the film isn’t romanticizedto the point that the viewers who were captivated by him at the start no longer feel the spark when he later walks into the room. Although the skeleton in Ryle’s closet humanizes him, it never takes away the weight of the abuse that he inflicts. Similarly to Lively, Baldoni has never charted this territory as a performer before, and he does so meticulously. Although he brings depth to the character, it is never enough to convince the audience to want Lily to stick around like her mother did.
Another element that positively aids the film’s translation from book to screen is its soundtrack. As the protagonist falls for Ryle and sees her life slowly come to mirror that of her parents, a relationship she has grown to dread, the needle drops add even more emotion and meaning to her hardships. FromLana Del ReytoBirdy, the music perfectly accompanies her journey through the ups and downs of falling in love and then falling apart when violence gets in the way. Yet,the most poignant song choice here isTaylor Swift’s “My Tears Ricochet,“which holds significance in its placement in the film. Not only does it encapsulate the burden that comes with Lily’s internal struggle towards Ryle and what it means to be with him despite the tender start to their bond, but it also represents her return to being the joyful woman she once was.
‘It Ends With Us’ Limits One of Its Leads, and Doesn’t Explore Flashbacks to the Fullest
Although the movie serves as a purposeful cautionary tale,it also incorporates a love triangle of sorts, which is left on the sidelines. Lily’s first boyfriend, Atlas (Brandon Sklenar), comes back into her life years after their teen romance unfolded and soon becomes the support system that she needs. As a result, the character’s arc is incredibly limited considering the former couple’s backstory. His relationship with Lily during high school (which is presented through flashbacks, withIsabela FerrerandAlex Neustaedterplaying their younger versions) is the only background we get on Atlas, leading his adult presence in the film to be one-note. Aside from his helping hand when she needs it the most, the character barely gets the development that Lily and even Ryle have.
The flashbacks are also not as strongly interwoven with the present when it comes to Lily and Atlas' young love. The start of their romance is laid out well, but by the end of the flashback sequences, little is known as to Atlas' whereabouts after they part ways and how their happiness being cut short affected Lily. Although an adaptation can only cover so many scenes and parts of the novel that it is based on,reducing the past and the present when it comes to one of the film’s most pivotal characters is a fault that is hard to shake away. It also feels a bit of a disservice to Ferrer and Neustaedter, who could’ve done much more than what they were given.
Despite the decision to minimize Atlas' presence to a plot device for Lily’s road to breaking free from a generational cycle, Baldoni’sIt Ends With Usis an emotional and effective depiction of domestic violence and how to find the strength to overcome it. The film is sensitive to the main topic, and its performances and direction allow for Lily’s experience to empower survivors. The project is also careful not to romanticize the aggressor, which is a positive distinction from the source material. Although slight changes were made to the story present in the novel, most of them (including the change in age) serve the adaptation well. As a whole, Baldoni’s directorial effort isn’t made for the fans who were drawn in by the love triangle, but rather intended for the audiences who resonate with Lily’s journey, and maybe that is for the better.
It Ends With Usis now streaming on Netflix in the U.S.
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It Ends With Us
It Ends With Us is a sensitive depiction of abuse and its performances elevate the adaptation.
A woman’s life takes a challenging turn when her first love reappears, complicating her relationship with a charismatic but abusive neurosurgeon. Confronted with difficult decisions, she must summon her inner strength to navigate the complexities of love and self-empowerment, ultimately shaping her path forward.
