I'm Thinking of Ending Things

Lore & Background

The film's plot centers on a young woman (Jessie Buckley) who contemplates ending her relationship with her boyfriend Jake (Jesse Plemons) while on a trip to meet his parents (Toni Collette and David Thewlis) at their farm. Throughout the film, the main narrative is intercut with footage of an elderly janitor (Guy Boyd) working at a high school, including scenes where he sees students rehearsing Oklahoma! and watches a romantic comedy film. The two stories intersect by the third act.

During the visit, the woman notices scratches on the basement door, and at dinner she shows photographs of her landscape paintings, though narrative inconsistencies arise. She later discovers janitor uniforms in the washing machine and posters for Ralph Albert Blakelock exhibitions with paintings seemingly identical to her own. The couple stops at Tulsey Town, a drive-through ice cream stand whose employees are students at the janitor's school. After a heated argument, Jake leaves the woman alone in the car and confronts the janitor inside the school.

The film culminates in a dream ballet sequence and a scene where an old Jake receives a Nobel Prize and sings 'Lonely Room' from Oklahoma! to an audience in theatrical old-age makeup. In the final scene, the couple's car is absent from the school parking lot the next morning, while the janitor's truck remains covered in snow.

Reader's Guide

I'm Thinking of Ending Things received positive reviews from critics, who praised the two lead performances and the cinematography. On Rotten Tomatoes, 82% of 262 critic reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.5/10; the critics' consensus reads: 'Aided by stellar performances from Jessie Buckley and Jesse Plemons, I'm Thinking of Ending Things finds writer-director Charlie Kaufman grappling with the human condition as only he can.' On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 78 out of 100, indicating 'generally favorable' reviews.

Critics highlighted the film's surreal structure and dream logic. Karen Han of Polygon noted that 'the lack of clear answers and structure can be frustrating, but the strange way the story is told enhances just how real the exchanges between characters feel.' Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com praised the cinematography, saying the atmosphere is 'amplified by a tight 4:3 aspect ratio courtesy of Łukasz Żal.' The Observer's Wendy Ide called it 'one of the most daringly unexpected films of the year.' In June 2025, IndieWire ranked the film at number 22 on its list of 'The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far).'

Did You Know?

• The film is loosely adapted from Iain Reid's 2016 novel.
• Principal photography began on March 13, 2019, in Fishkill, New York, and was completed on April 29.
• Brie Larson was originally cast but was replaced by Jessie Buckley in March 2019.
• The film's runtime is 134 minutes.