The Endless

Something I've always appreciated about Lovecraftian works, is how much they trust the consumer. 'The Endless' does this to an extent, but weirdly not enough for an indie film.

Still, I did like it overall. The banter between the brothers holds strong as the emotional core of the film, and there are a few creepy sequences.

I just found that it almost showed too much, and what it did show was confusing at times (not in a Lovecraftian way, more like a contradicting its own rules way). The colour tones were so dreary as well, the only visually interesting parts were the parts that didn't need to be there.

But, Lovecraft is hard to do. So I give them props; this is still one of the better efforts that I've seen. I've heard it's loosely connected to their other works as well, which I do intend to check out someday.

Overall: worth a watch.

What a great little gem! I've watched this film three times - something I very rarely do. What I value the most about this film is the story line. The story is tight, and simple, and clever, which is a lot more than what I can say about many mainstream sci fi blockbusters. They probably deserve even better rating, given the limited budget they had to work with, in order to get this result. Good work!

Right from the door you can see that it is a limited budget, indie style movie, but doesn't make it bad in comparison to other big movies from the same genre. The storyline is pretty weird and interesting that makes you feel awkard throughout the whole movie and the concept is pretty original. The only problem I had with this movie is that it had at least 3-4 big plot holes that need to be filled so it can become a movie as a whole, like for example. how did they escape the cult in the first place ?

Slow start, but the end made it kind of worth it. This is the style of film that you want to follow to see how it concludes. There is an eerie vibe throughout and the dialogue itself makes this movie interesting. If you like films which involve cults then you will be interested enough to watch this, although there's more to its story then just a cult. I did like the fact that the protagonists are also the directors/writers of the film, it gives an extra touch to their acting. 7/10, a low budget film that delivers.

Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.

This film is more clever than it first appears, because it operates on at least two levels. On the surface, it is a taut, well-crafted horror story about a (possible) "death cult". We have some mysterious rituals, a missing husband, and seemingly silly camp activities that may – or may not – have a darker purpose.

Some of this is vaguely alluded to in the opening quote from H. P. Lovecraft, and further still during the lake "reveal". The scare quotes here are just because what is revealed at this moment is entirely up to the imaginations of the viewer. A certain Lovecraft story may provide a guide, or it may be merely a coincidence or red herring. But once the big reveal comes, everything goes dark, and the suspense truly becomes horror.

The subcutaneous level is focused on a theme: the truth of religion, either this one or religion in general. Though this film really only explores the reality of one (fictional) religion, it does make us wonder: what if some religions we find strange are actually right? With so many religions in the world, it is certainly possible that one or more are correct. And if the strangest ones might be right, we ought to question our own beliefs: do we believe correctly? With so many choices, it is hard to say for sure.

Though this deeper meaning may not have been intentional, it nevertheless exists and makes the film even more interesting. The filmmakers previously had a hit with "Resolution" (2012), but all signs point to "The Endless" being an even bigger success. The film played at Tribeca Film Festival on April 21, and will no doubt be seen by a wider audience throughout 2017.