It Ends With Us sheds light on how it can be difficult to break free from abusive relationships and serves as a potent reminder that love isn’t always enough to sustain a relationship.
The movie, an adaptation of the popular book written by prolific author Colleen Hoover, can benefit students in understanding realities of relationships that aren’t always perfect. It Ends With Us pushes them to question their own perceptions of love and control, making it a critical film for fostering healthy relationship awareness.
Ryle Kincaid, who is portrayed by Justin Baldoni, embodies the charm and danger that often accompanies abusive personalities. Ryle at first appears caring and loving, making it easy for others to like him. However as the story continues, his dangerous tendencies emerge. This forces the audience to wonder how someone that seems so perfect can have such harmful behavior. His character reveals how abuse can be hidden behind a facade, making it difficult for those close to him, such as Lily, to recognize the problem.
The protagonist, Lily Bloom demonstrates the inner struggle that many individuals in an abusive relationship face. She loves Ryle but slowly comes to realize that love alone cannot justify or repair the damage caused by his actions. The irony of Lily’s relationship with Ryle lies in how it mirrors the abusive relationship her mother endured with her father. Throughout her childhood, Lily witnessed her mothers suffering and swore she would never tolerate it. She was unable to understand why she didn’t leave. As an adult, Lily found herself in a similar situation with Ryle. something she judged her mother for years became her own reality, forcing her to confront the painful truth that leaving someone you love is not as simple as she thought.
Justin Baldoni who plays Ryle in the film explains what he did to bring his character to life in a way that reflected his charming and dangerous nature.
“I was very nervous to play [Ryle]. My north star with Ryle was always to look for his humanity because it’s very easy to judge somebody that does the terrible things that he does, and what he does in this film is unforgivable and unjustifiable,” Justin told Deadline. “It was really important for me to inject as much goodness into Ryle as possible because I also had to protect Lily’s character as the movie simply won’t work if you don’t believe that she really loves him.”
Blake lively, who plays lily bloom, has gotten a lot of backlash since the movie was released. Unlike Justin Baldoni she says in interviews that the audience should wear their girliest floral dresses and go watch with their friends, which does not show the importance of the real message behind the movie. At the same time she has used the film as a opportunity to promote her new haircare line.
Films like It Ends With Us offer a valuable space for reflection, helping the audience build the social consciousness and emotional awareness needed to navigate complex situations. It’s an opportunity for students to engage with important social themes that are often overlooked. By watching this film, students can develop a deeper understanding of issues such as relationship dynamics, and the cycle of abuse while watching and enjoying a good film.
