In 2018, director Scott Speer released young adult tearjerker, Midnight Sun. Now he’s back to milk some more tears with Endless. The film received a limited cinematic release in Showcase cinemas earlier in the year, but now arrives on digital platforms. The story sees high-school sweethearts Riley (Alexandra Shipp) and Chris (Nicholas Hamilton) wrenched apart after a tragic car accident leaves Chris dead and Riley in mourning. Their bond is so strong however, that even death cannot keep them apart and the pair are able to continue their relationship with Chris in the afterlife. But by continuing their courtship, they may be doing more harm than good.
Speers follows his own formula of filmmaking for appealing to the young audience and ensures that Endless is crammed full of catchy popular music and attractive cast members. He adds some interesting little flourishes to the afterlife and real-world encounters, utilising a shimmer effect that isn’t as painfully Twilight as it sounds. It feels a little twee in places, but the subject matter is so dark that rather than coat the film in syrupy saccharine, it instead helps to lift the mood and tone of the piece.
Alexandra Shipp, who also serves as executive producer on the project, is breathtaking as Riley. She manages to maintain the grief-stricken emotional distress required without straying into melodramatic territory. It’s a hauntingly accurate portrayal of melancholy and yet another strong performance from the young actor; she is steadily becoming one of the ones to watch. With such a committed turn, acting against her is a daunting task and Nicholas Hamilton does a valiant job. The one gripe is that those familiar with his work as Henry Bowers in the recent It films will have a tough time adjusting to seeing him as a romantic lead.
Speer’s Midnight Sun failed to attract an audience until it arrived on digital and it seems that Endless is set to follow in the same footsteps. Obviously releasing in a limited amount of theatres during a global pandemic didn’t help its chances, but hopefully it will now get the opportunity to shine. Granted, the story isn’t the most original, most of it playing as a young adult version of Ghost, but it’s in its familiarities that it finds its strengths. Sometimes you just want to sit down with a good old-fashioned tear-jerker and Endless certainly ticks that box.
Endless arrives on Digital HD from 23rd November 2020.
Endless
Summary
As equally emotional and heart-string tugging as Midnight Sun before it, Speers cements himself as one of the new kings of the weepy.
