I’m Thinking of Ending Things: Is It Scary?

Charlie Kaufman’s psychological horror film I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a bizarre and unrelenting journey through the psyche of a young couple, but is it actually scary? An addition to the 2020 Netflix originals lineup, it is adapted from Iain Reid’s 2016 novel of the same name, which is notably one of the most intense thrillers on the market. Kaufman’s use of the psychological horror sub-genre is perhaps a bit misleading; it is psychologically intense, but the horrific elements are obscure and inaccessible for a casual viewing. It is only horrifying in the sense that it evokes existential dread while relying entirely on the psyche of the characters and the viewer. Thus, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is not scary in the traditional sense, but it does create a sense of internal fear.

While most psychological horror films feature elements of blatant impending doom, a physical manifestation of what the character is experiencing, and torture, Kaufman’s film does not. It is a slow burn from beginning to end. I’m Thinking of Ending Things rarely allows the viewer to look away in fear of missing out on a moment of what could happen next. It has the ability to draw in an audience without revealing much of anything. This is what makes it such a great psychological horror film. It is relentless in its existentialism, it makes the audience question what they are seeing, and evokes fears of death, dying alone, and aging.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things can be considered scary in its own right, but it is entirely dependent on how the viewer takes in the contents of the film. If films such as Gerald’s Game, Mother!, and The House That Jack Built are considered the traditional psychological horror movies, then Kaufman’s latest film breaks that tradition. Deciphering whether or not I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is scary is a difficult task to undertake because it is a highly subjective film.

I’m Thinking Of Ending Things Is Existential Horror

Rather than refer to Kaufman’s I’m Thinking of Ending Things as a psychological horror movie, it’s more worthy of the existential horror label and sub-genre. Jake (Jesse Plemons) and the young woman (Jessie Buckley) are the only individuals faced with psychologically horrific events which create existential horror for its audience. Jake experiences a relentless sense of dread and fears dying alone, while the young woman questions her existence, the purpose behind living, and how insignificant everything feels to her. The characters are experience exactly what existential dread is.

Through their questioning of life and its purpose, they evoke viewers to question their own relationships and greater significance, which is an unrelenting horror to experience at the hands of a film. Other existential horror films include David Lynch’s Eraserhead and Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist. Both of these movies include conversations on life and its deeper meaning, why characters are subjected to the roles they play, and how their existence contributes to the world around them. Films in this sub-genre are often artfully crafted, and commonly require a second or third viewing but, at the same time, they are often allocated to a list of movies that are difficult to watch more than once because of the fears they evoke.

Ultimately, I’m Thinking of Ending Things is not traditionally scary, but it can evoke feelings of existential dread, which are very dark and horrific thoughts. It can be viewed without the fear of jump-scares, murderers, and torture, which are more classical horror movie elements.

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