Film Critic Estella Gettins review The End We Start From, finding it to be a run-of-the-mill and uninspired post-apocalypse drama
An all too realistic disaster movie that sees the United Kingdom as we know it submerged by floods and relentless rains, this is a film that takes you on a journey of survival and the anxiety-inducing trials of motherhood. The film opens with a clever play on water-themed metaphors to immerse viewers from the start, with the opening sequence featuring a running bath, an escalating rainstorm, and the intense moment of Jodie Comer’s character going into labour as her waters break. From that point forward, the mother and her new family find themselves uprooted from their home, leaving behind the familiar comforts of their previous life.
The End We Start From brings an honest and frightening lens to the realistic post-apocalyptic environment as people lose their homes, food becomes scarce, and anarchy ensues.
Jodie Comer’s acting is a real highlight of this movie, as we largely follow her story of survival in this new world as she tries to make the best possible choices for her newborn child, having to remain strong as things continue to take a turn for the worse. She brings a real sense of relatability with her character, so her pain and sacrifices feel realistic, as well as her strength, hope and her love for her new family. Comer’s standout performance is what kept me captivated throughout this film as you root for her newfound role as a mother in a bleak and unforgiving world.
Jodie Comer’s acting is a real highlight of this movie
Joel Fry and Katherine Waterson’s supporting performances are not to be overlooked either as they each bring depth and emotion to their roles. Fry portrays the new father who faces tough sacrifices, risking his safety and his parents’ to ensure the survival of his child and the mother. Meanwhile, Waterson’s character embodies the resilience of a single mother, embracing the opportunity to forge new relationships and find a sense of community amidst the natural disaster, leaving her old life behind in the process.
While there are certain themes portrayed well in this movie, such as the metaphor of motherhood as being a constant navigation of impossible tasks and choices, feeling alone and uncertain as she must adapt to a completely new way of life. This movie does however lack in originality. There are already numerous movies that follow similar tropes while offering something more in terms of action or social commentary. It tries to make a message about the environment, resource management and migration, yet it fails to be realistic or convincing in this as we follow the story of the privileged upper-middle class couple who have family with stockpiles of food in an untouched house in the country, and she constantly gets access to safety through her privileges and connections, whilst they insinuate that many people had starved after the disaster. The working-class survivors are briefly touched on and swiftly overlooked, acting as the constant source of danger and threat to the mother throughout the film, which does leave a bitter taste at the end when you only get the satisfaction of knowing that the mother and her family are safe and reunited.
There are already numerous movies that follow similar tropes while offering something more
The down to earth style of editing through the majority of this film does however bring some much needed humanity as it explores human resilience and the bonds of love and friendship that we need to keep ourselves going in a crisis, and is never overly dramatic or glamorous when depicting the strength of maternal instincts and resilience in the most challenging of circumstances.
Verdict:
The End We Start From was an absorbing and thought-provoking film that went beyond the usual disaster movie formula, exploring themes of resilience in times of crisis. However, the movie failed to offer anything new as a story, which unfortunately made it quite forgettable.
Rating: 5/10
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