What a weekend we have ahead of us Pop culture fanatics! We get the big battle on Game of Thrones AND the conclusion of a twenty-two movie arch. In honor of things that “end” we have assembled the top 10 movies ever with “end” in the title.
Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End isn’t the best in the franchise by any stretch, but that doesn’t preclude it from the fact that it is wildly entertaining and fun. From the beginning of the series up to this point, each movie just got more and more “out there,” and I kind of buy into it in this case. Jack Sparrow is as weird as ever, there is some really fun action, and it is just overall bonkers. If you want to watch a Pirates movie that is an objectively good film, this isn’t the one you want to choose. But if you want to turn your brain off, have some dumb fun, and be entertained, At World’s End can fit right into that description. (Robert Bouffard)
Watching the Never Ending Story as a kid is nearly mind breaking. I still remember sitting there turning the title over and over again in my head thinking “How can it never end?” I know this VHS tape isn’t eternal. (Tangent time: For all you Gen Z’s out there, a VHS tape was a black box of plastic about the size of a 300 page book. Back in my day, ((woah, I just said that for the first time)) this is how we had to watch movies. You couldn’t stream them). Anyways, this is a really fun watch and a must add to the “movies to watch with the kids” list. I also find it very fitting for the Endgame post because the Avengers are actually fulfilling that never ending story in actuality. (Blake Hodges)
While the execution of this film has a lot to be desired, it is the themes and ideas that really stand out. The film does a great job of building an us versus them mentality similar in the fashion to Starship Troopers. The difference is that this film plays it straight instead of being satirical. The creative minds behind it mostly show you the perspective of the humans and their struggle against their alien adversaries, the Formics (Which they give the demeaning name “Buggers”). The title character Ender Wiggin (Asa Butterfield) is chosen because he has the cold and calculated temperament to handle the stressful training, as well as the daunting intellect to solve any problem placed in front of him. He is pushed by his superiors to continue to look at every conflict that he confronts in the terms of a game, with no thought of any of the consequences to follow. Ender is pushed to continue to believe that empathy for one’s enemy isn’t something to be tolerated, until he learns what he has become due to his actions. He learns that every action has consequences even when something appears to be a simple game of strategy and learns a valuable lesson about empathy as a whole. (Joseph Vargas)
The End of the Spear – This is a powerful look into the true story of two generations of missionaries, whose experiences in trying to communicate with the indigenous people of the South American Amazon include ultimate tragedy and redemption. Though you can tell the movie suffers at points from it’s low budget, there is enough power in the story itself to make it worth your time. (Aaron Dicer)
This is a ridiculously outrageous film about what the rapture would look like smack dab in the middle of Hollywood. And as crazy as that sounds, it really works. With an ensemble cast of excellent comedic actors playing the fictionalized versions of themselves, we see how the rapture would go down in one of the not so “rapture ready” places. When you have famous people dealing with biblical proportions of the world ending, you’re gonna have a wild ride. You have the exorcism of Jonah Hill, cannibals, an NSFW Satan roaming the boulevards of Los Angeles, and flashback for us girls with one of our favorite boybands with a dance sequence. The end really doesn’t sound that bad at all. (Chantal Ashford)
Welcome to the epitome of Merchant/Ivory film making. If the 9 Oscar nominations and 3 Oscar wins don’t bring you in, how about Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins doing some of the best work of their storied careers? Even in a world where period pieces have given way to superhero epics, this one stands above with deep insight and meaning on what it means to connect as humans. If you aren’t scared off by the Downton Abbyness of it all, you may just have a beautiful experience with this one. (Aaron Dicer)
The Endless is one of those movies that requires multiple viewings to understand what is exactly going on. When you hear that the movie involves a “UFO Death Cult” you know you’re in for something different. It’s simple, two brothers that have escaped from this so called “cult” return years later when they receive a mysterious tape from the cult. Basicilly because of what I told you before, there are a lot of strange things that happen when they return. The cinematogropghy is so unique that it stuck with me. It’s something I’d recommend, if you are looking for something different. (Aman Network)
The tagline for Director James Ponsoldt’s (The Spectacular Now, The Circle) The End of the Tour says it all: “Imagine the greatest conversation you’ve ever had.” And when it comes down to it, that is all this movie is; a film-length conversation between two men — one a reporter for Rolling Stones played by Jesse Eisenberg, and the other a reclusive author played by Jason Segel. Yet what sets it apart from the likes of My Dinner with Andre is its scope — a five-day interview in which the reporter must follow the author along his book tour — and its heart — rarely does a film with such existentially cold characters brim with such life. Based on real interviews conducted by reporter David Lipsky with novelist David Foster Wallace after the publication of his novel Infinite Jest, this is an odyssey of conflicting ideologies in which we witness emotional barriers crumble onscreen until souls are bared right before our eyes, and a friendship is forged that feels completely honest and real. It is a journey that is just as physical as it is emotional and philosophical, yet writer Donald Margulies doesn’t forget to inject as much humor as possible along the road. As the tour comes to its end, it finds pathos and genuine depth, and gives the audience a great deal of food for thought. (Devan Myer)
Edgar Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy has become a beloved series for cinephiles out there. Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz usually get most of the love but my personal favorite is the end of this wonderful trilogy, The World’s End. Let’s take a crazy booze infused reunion of childhood friends and drop them right into an Invasion of the Body Snatchers spoof. How could this not be a raging success? Oh…it definitely is! Wright brings his best buds Simon Pegg and Nick Frost back again but in a fresh way with Frost being the straight man to Pegg’s unstable loser. The wit and snappy filmmaking that marks all of Wright’s efforts are here but a certain level of maturity shines through in this effort. Boasting a deliciously insane bathroom brawl and impressive visual effects, The World’s End will give you an emotional gut punch. But be warned, Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar) by The Doors will be stuck in your head after viewing. (Shane Conto)
End of Watch is so effective because it examines the mind of a police officer in Los Angeles, who often must deal with life or death situations. It puts you in the mind of two officers (Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña) through its mockumentary style. We see them put their safety at risk almost every day, but through the lens of a close friendship. As they begin to grow their families, the consequences of their job and the constant toll it takes on them becomes more apparent. A powerful and heartbreaking look at the lives of these two men who call each other brothers, End of Watch is intense and incredible all the way through. (Robert Bouffard)
Also See:
End of Days, The Deep End of the Ocean, Weekend at Bernie’s