Films that challenge the realm of our understanding often end up charting high on our list of favourites. If you have watched Charlie Kaufman’s movies, you will know how this director challenges our scope of grasping things. He is notorious for bringing forward some notable psychological thrillers. I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is no different. It is Kaufman’s way of asking us about the true meaning of relationships and highlighting the importance of companionship.
Netflix, being the streaming giant it is, has supported Kaufman in his endeavour. This 2-hour-long psychological horror thriller didn’t only make for a commendable addition to Kaufman’s list, but it has also become a remarkable journey for all of us. But the destination we were all trying to reach with this thriller seems to be in a haze. If you are baffled by the climax of I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, worry no more! We have broken down the complex ending of this suspense story for you to understand this horror thriller easily!
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things Ending Explained
We can hardly cut off the ties with our loved ones all at once, can we? It takes time, it takes effort but more importantly, it takes motivation to do so. Giving another chance to the relationship is significantly easier than breaking it down. After all, we have invested everything we stand for to make this relationship work. Jake, our main protagonist of the film, and his girlfriend whose name still remains a mystery stand at a similar point in their relationship. Although Jake is holding onto Mystery Woman with full force, she has put one foot out already.
So, here is how the film begins. Jake and Mystery Woman step into Jake’s house to rekindle their relationship. But what happens inside doesn’t only make Mystery Woman perplexed but us, too! Jake’s witty mother keeps ranting about how her mental health is deteriorating and how she is continuously hearing whispers. Jake’s father is no different, while his wife is going through mental issues, his physical health keeps deteriorating and he keeps complaining about it to a guest. They don’t care if it is their son’s girlfriend sitting in front of them, they just keep on ranting and making Jake feel repugnant. If you find this complicated, tie your seat belts tighter!
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Relationships Are A Mystery Even A Savant Genius Cannot Solve
The dynamics between Jake and his parents are incongruous compared to Jake’s relationship with Mystery Woman. As the movie progresses further, we witness how Mystery Woman wanders inside Jake’s childhood home and begins to rummage through his washing machine. Yes, that’s right. She finds several janitor uniforms inside it even though no one in Jake’s family works as a janitor. Mystery Woman starts to see several things at once. She finds Jake’s childhood pictures and watches his dog, Jimmy, grow older. Also, Mystery Woman watches Jake’s parents age in a split second.
Each scenario here sparks curiosity in us but Mystery Woman or Lucy as Jake calls her initially, remains unfazed. She simply sifts through these memories as if they were her own. Later, Jake bids his parents goodbye and takes his girlfriend to his high school. For what? To drop some leftover deserts. This isn’t the height of absurdity though, a myriad of twists awaits us!
Unravelling The Mystery Behind The Suspicious Mystery Woman
Portrayed by Jessie Buckley, Mystery Woman, is an anonymous personality to us. She is caught doing bizarre things as wandering through Jake’s home as if she knows what is in there. She witnesses Jake’s parents ageing as if she has been a part of their lives forever and knows what happened to them. Moreover, Mystery Woman sees Jimmy’s ashes and nearly eulogizes him. The first theory we propose after watching Mystery Woman doing this absurd stuff is that she feels nostalgic and is a ghost reliving the memories.
Maybe, she is out for vengeance or wants Jake to know about her horrible past. Something along the line similar the cliche horror dramas. But nothing about I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is worn out, it is exotically fresh and intriguing. The Mystery Woman here is no one but Jake himself! And the entire journey that sifted before his eyes was Jake’s life story.
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I’m Thinking Of Ending Things Climax: Here’s How Jake Sees Himself In The Movie
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, brought to us by Netflix and Kaufman, centres around Jake’s life story. It is a nostalgic bittersweet walk down memory lane. The janitor’s clothes, the old man sweeping the floors of a high school and the owner of the wooden house is none other than Jake himself. It is his life story seen through the lens of a schizophrenic. Though it is not specified in the movie clearly, it is obvious that Jake suffers from an extensive case of schizophrenia.
He is a white-haired, grumpy old man who has lost his senses and now lives in a delusional world. The Mystery Woman he was imagining was a figment of his imagination. He has met this woman only once at a bar where he fell in love with her. Ever since he has been dreaming of this Mystery Woman. He keeps on imagining her, giving her new names and professions and setting her in a different location. Each time Mystery Woman is Jake’s girlfriend and both of them are a couple.
Jake, though unusually smart and self-contained, sees himself as nothing. Yes, the real old Jake aspires to be popular and outgoing but he isn’t able to muster up the courage to do so. He works as a janitor and blends in with the bleak surroundings, often focusing on the floors and not on the people. He is awkward, introverted and reserved but his imagination is wild. In the final scenes of I’m Thinking Of Ending Things, though, Jake freezes himself in the nerve-chilling air and suicide.
Jake’s Suicide Wasn’t A Manifestation Of His Imagination
Since the entire 2-hour-long movie is nothing but a figment of Jake’s imagination, it is rather obvious you must be wondering whether Jake committed suicide or he imagined that as well. Your questions are eligible and so are your theories. Kaufman is popular for leaving his audience with several questions lingering in the back of their minds. It is because of this that the end of this thriller has made left everyone baffled.
Jake, the lone janitor, has never been able to make friends. He has always been quite shy and extremely uncomfortable talking to people. This is the reason, he couldn’t muster up the courage to talk to the only woman who garnered his attention. Ever since that bar encounter, Jake has been thinking of ending things. As the credits roll over, we finally get to know why Jake has been having such violent thoughts.
I’m Thinking Of Ending Things: This Ain’t Just A Phrase Nor The Mere Title Of The Movie
Adapted from the novel under the same title, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is Ian Reid’s piece of artistry. It is his imagination that Kaufman got inspired and crafted this thought-inducing, mind-boggling horror thriller. The movie’s beginning feels deceptively cliche but as things start to move forward, nothing remains simple. Be it Mystery Woman’s wandering, Jake’s ambush at his high school or Jake’s parents’ continuous ranting. What’s better? Everything in Kaufman’s thriller has a meaning!
Starting from the poetry Lucy aka Mystery Woman recites at the start of the film. We thought she might be a poet then the plot turns 360 degrees and Lucy has transformed into Lucia the painter then Louisa the physicist and so on. She never has a transfixed name because Jake has never asked for it in real life. Moving forward to Jake’s parents’ rantings, they were not accidentally narrating their issues either. Jake has suffered because of his parents’ mental and physical health issues severely. And we think it is because of his parents’ constant rantings that Jake has become so self-isolated.
Moreover, the setting of the film involves sad musical tones and depressing hues. For the entire 2-hour course, the backdrop is set in neutral tones or utterly depressing ones. This is to signify the loneliness of our main protagonist, Jake, enacted by Jesse Plemons. While initially, we think this is a heartbreaking story of Jake and Lucy’s breakup, it is nothing as it seems. I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is Jake’s constant thought and in the finale, he does end things. Truly a masterpiece by Ian Reid and Charlie Kaufman, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is a thought-provoking memorable addition to the genre.
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