268. The Endless; movie review

THE ENDLESS
Cert 15
108 mins
BBFC advice: Contains strong language, threat, drug misuse

I found it intriguing but I am still a bit baffled by The Endless even though have just read an article which claims to explain its meaning.
Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead's movie initially seems straightforward when its leading players (Benson and Moorhead) return to a UFO death cult, ten years after leaving it.
The two play brothers who have found it impossible to acclimatise to the outside world in which they are masters of their own destiny rather than that of the collective.
Benson's character is less than keen to return, given some wild public statements he has made about the cult, but is talked into it after the appearance of a tape on which their former friends seem to be warning of a mass suicide.
However, when they arrive, they find them in good health and denying any such plan.
But their return does throws up some immediate intrigue - the members of the cult appear not to have aged and two of the women offer themselves to the brothers despite being committed to other men.
Initially, therefore, it seems as if the cult is little more than a circle of free love which specialise in ageing remedies.
Then, surprisingly, the film darts off into a direction which I found simultaneously interesting, surreal and a tad bewildering.
It then emerges that the cult are beholden to a mysterious being which lurks in the sky and is holding them and anyone in a nearby radius in an extended time loop.
Trust me, this does not give the game away because it is how the brothers handle these discoveries which is the most compelling element of the film.
As said, Benson and Moorhead, who are both engaging lads as well as directors, have pretty much left it to the audience to establish their own take on The Endless and why the characters keep making mistakes over and over despite being in the time loop.
And, despite my usual reservations when it comes to this genre of movie, I felt myself drawn to it in a similar way that I was attracted by David Lynch's Twin Peaks television series.
I am still not at all sure what went on but I know I want more.

Reasons to watch: Compellingly unusual thriller
Reasons to avoid: It is not always easy to follow

Laughs: None
Jumps: None
Vomit: None
Nudity: None
Overall rating: 7/10

Director quote - Aaron Moorhead: "We liked the idea of playing with audience expectations, with the fact that the cult has a secret but it’s not what people are going to think, and that has another layer, to do with family dynamics and authority."

The big question - Can there be a 'good' cult?

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