It is fairly difficult to find good movies today that accurately portray Gen Z without turning people into caricatures or being condescending of the generation, but It Ends neatly avoids this problem. This lack of meaningful representation is a relatively new phenomenon, though.
Teen movies from the 2000s will never be forgotten for capturing the high school experiences of early Gen Z with comforting authenticity and accuracy.
Everyone born before 2008 is now an adult, meaning most of Gen Z are adults today, either in college or even in the workplace. While TV shows like Euphoria are painting a sensationalist portrait of the generation that’s often far from reality, Adult Swim is secretly dominating the adult animation industry by catering to Gen Z’s absurdist sense of humor.
This is perhaps because a jaded sense of maturity has made juvenile hedonism unrelatable for many Gen Z people. The best Gen Z movies tap into the generation’s unique mix of optimism and skepticism. They focus on Gen Z’s fight for change while appreciating that they’re often simultaneously aloof as well. Infantalization makes boring narratives, and it must be rejected.
It Ends Follows Recent College Graduates On A Fateful Drive
Alexander Ullom’s It Ends is based on the experiences of three college students who have only recently graduated. They’re being driven by their friend who graduated a year earlier. Looking for a turn that the GPS claims is up ahead, they realize the road isn’t ending and plan to turn around. However, the entry point is now a dead end.
This realization is accompanied by them being flanked by a violent crowd of people running out of the jungle with terrified screams of “Help us!”, even cutting one of them while trying to climb into the car. As they turn around and resume driving, two of them try making theories about what could have happened, while the other two panic.
The mood in the car feels relatable as a Gen Z person, as each character is an authentic archetype instead of an exaggerated stereotype. There is the cold and analytical James (Phinehas Yoon), the struggling but comforting and chatty Day (Akira Jackson), the lighthearted and funny meme-obsessed Fisher (Noah Toth), and the pretentiously grown-up but sincerely responsible Tyler (Mitchell Cole).
It Ends Has A Gen Z Sense Of Humor
TV shows are the primary source for authentic representation of Gen Z culture, as short-form entertainment has emerged as the primary form of storytelling that the generation consumes, surpassing movies. However, whether it’s social media, TV, or cinema, one thing that every authentic work on Gen Z agrees on is the generation’s distinctly dark sense of humor, represented by memes.
This is the part of Gen Z that It Ends also taps into, making it feel genuine. Their exchanges about their jobs, the conversations about which animals or birds would be easier to fight, and memes about their predicament make you laugh despite the sinister atmosphere. The burning house meme defines Gen Z, and it aptly sums up It Ends.
It Ends Is Closer To A Thriller Drama Than A Horror Movie
When It Ends premiered at SXSW 2025, it was categorized as horror, but the movie is much better described as a thriller or even a dramedy because of its dry sense of humor. The premise does involve one particularly terrifying sequence of the angry mob running after the car, but the movie isn’t focused on the horror of the situation.
Instead, it uses the circumstances as a jumping-off point to reflect on Gen Z’s attitudes towards problems, representing four different approaches. The characters’ responses obviously cause friction between them, and their conversations are the crux of the film. It Ends uses a horror-like premise to make philosophical observations about humanity.
It Ends Is About Friendship And Life
When the situation becomes apparent, It Ends has already earned your investment in the characters. So, even if it becomes anxiety-provoking, you want to sit through the events and try to solve the puzzle. However, irrespective of how cerebrally you approach It Ends, you are inevitably affected by the movie on an emotional level because it focuses on interpersonal relationships.
Instead of trying to establish the rules of the game, It Ends instead introduces a confounding topic and allows the characters’ reactions to explore how it tests them and their friendships. When the credits finally roll, you realize that the specific details of the phenomena aren’t important because this movie is actually focusing more on the journey than the destination.
It Ends Makes You Introspect
Now, It Ends isn’t just great because it feels like it genuinely understands Gen Z and features truly relatable dialogue. It’s also compelling because you inevitably insert yourself into the movie. The movie makes you relate within the first fifteen minutes through the conversations in the car, and when the premise is finally introduced, you start wondering how you’d react.
While the specific decisions you would take are interesting to think about, It Ends is effective as a thriller because it makes you confront what those choices represent. Since the movie takes a philosophical approach to the story, you are made to consider what aspects of humanity and relationships you prioritize and value. It’s a simultaneously unnerving and liberating experience.
