Movie Monday: How It Ends

Last weekend, my husband and I were in the mood for a movie, so we watched How It Ends, a suspenseful, action-packed, thoughtful apocalypse film that kept us glued to the screen.

This disaster/road trip movie starts fast and keeps moving. In the opening scene, Will, played by Theo James (who played Four in the Divergent movies), is in Chicago, talking to his girlfriend, Sam, played by Kat Graham, on the phone. She is in Seattle, and he is headed home today, but while they are talking, he hears strange sounds through the phone, Sam says something is wrong, and then the connection cuts out. Unable to reach Sam again and hearing disturbing reports on the news of a huge seismic event off the West Coast, Will heads to Sam's parents' house, even though Sam's father, Tom, doesn't like him. Tom, played by Forest Whitaker, is ex-military and has high standards for his daughter. But with Sam's life apparently in danger and all planes grounded, the two men set aside their differences and head west in a car, while Sam's mom goes to stay with their son. Thus begins an epic cross-country road trip, while a series of cascading disasters unfolds around them. Mega storms, fires, and more bombard the travelers, as they get closer and closer to the center of the apocalyptic disaster. Plus, they have to deal with other people they meet along the way, some of whom are kind and in need of help themselves, but others who are taking advantage of the situation. It's a harrowing survival situation, and as the two drive westward, they gradually and grudgingly begin to bond and respect one another.

This apocalyptic disaster movie features nonstop action and plenty of suspense. Anytime you think the pair will be OK, some other unexpected challenge suddenly pops up. There is a fair amount of violence, but it is also a thoughtful movie, focusing in on the emotional relationship between Will and Tom as well as the physical challenges they face. The disaster itself is never fully explained, though all kinds of theories have popped up on the internet since it came out. It's a nail-biter thriller that certainly kept our attention, and the acting is excellent. We both enjoyed it.

How It Ends is a Netflix original movie, so it is available exclusively on Netflix.