This review was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the film being covered here wouldn’t exist.The apocalypse is kind of boring. It wasn’t always that way as films like The Road, 28 Days Later, and Mad Max: Fury Road have been able to make the subgenre feel fresh and inventive. Let’s be honest with ourselves though, how many zombie apocalypses, robot uprisings, or pandemic-centric movies can we really handle anymore? At this point, a lot of these kinds of films feel like we’ve been there before.

The End We Start From, which is based on the acclaimed novel by Megan Hunter, decides to focus on an apocalypse caused by climate change, but instead of telling the story on a massive scale, filmmaker Mahalia Belo tells a much smaller and more personal story about a young woman’s journey to find a safe haven where she and her newborn child can wait out their days until some sort of normalcy returns.

None of the characters over the course of the film have names, with the film beginning with a young woman (Jodie Comer) giving birth right as an ecological crisis strikes London, destroying her house and leaving her homeless. Her caring husband (Joel Fry) attempts to help in any way he can, but ends up facing a health crisis of his own, and soon the mother and her newborn baby are left completely on their own. Upon hearing about a potential safe haven, the woman meets another new mother (Katherine Waterston) who joins her on a long and perilous journey to find a safe and healthy place to raise their newborn children. Throughout their journey they begin to encounter various strangers. Some seemingly pose a threat while some of the others feel like they might want to help. However, when you’re stuck in a crisis, it is probably best if you trust no one rather than trusting everyone.

‘The End We Start From’ Gives Jodie Comer the Perfect Acting Showcase

Comer is rarely not on screen in The End We Start From as this is a film that Belo has built entirely around her lead actress. Recognizable faces such as Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch pop in and out of the movie, but they feel like such small parts compared to Comer. Her role here may just be the most vulnerable she has ever done. Instead of playing a childish but deadly assassin or a supporting character in a video game, Comer’s unnamed character in the movie feels deeply human and fully fleshed out. Her performance is intentionally muted and cold, but her facial expression and physical acting let the audience know everything they need to know about the protagonist. Above all else, The End We Start From is the perfect acting showcase for Comer.

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Fry, who is most known for his comedic roles in titles like Our Flag Means Death and Cruella, is also able to flex his dramatic muscles in the first and third acts of the film. His fragile romance with Comer’s character feels raw and without any sense of melodrama. In just a few short scenes, you understand what made these two people fall in love with each other when the film flashes back to their meet cute at a bar, only for them to be torn apart when the apocalypse leaves them in the weakest moments, both physically and mentally.

Belo’s Direction Has Echoes of Terrence Malick
Image via TIFF

Belo takes clear inspiration from Terrence Malick with her feature film debut. The film moves at a sluggish pace and takes its time to give the audience a glimpse at the decaying Earth. It is as if the filmmakers are warning us that if we continue to ignore climate change like we are right now, then there’ll be many young mothers all over the world having to go through the same kinds of things that Comer’s character has to go through in the film. The first twenty or so minutes are among the movie’s weakest moments, to the point where it starts to feel directionless. Fortunately, it does not feel like that for long.

Everything feels naturalistic without any sense of ego. Belo is able to make the apocalypse in The End We Start From feel personal by focusing the film more on Comer’s character rather than flashing to scenes of the now-flooded London city streets. Suzie Lavelle, the cinematographer of the film, helps create the film’s bleak and haunting atmosphere. The story rarely gives you a good look at the destruction that has been reaped across the planet, yet it still gives the audience a good sense of the feeling of doom and gloom felt by the characters.

Belo also uses the film to tackle themes of feminism, climate change, and parenthood. Much of it ends up feeling painfully relevant to our own world, but never to the point where you’ll be wiping away the tears from your eyes. For as intimate as the film feels, the emotional bits never feel nearly as effective as they were intended to. When the film ends, some may end up feeling disconnected rather than overflowing with emotion. Still, The End We Start From leaves the audience with plenty to ponder and think about alongside reminiscing about Comer’s incredible performance. After just her first feature film, Belo has established herself as a potential successor to Malick while still having her own distinct vision to her storytelling.

Rating: B

The Big Picture

The End We Start From offers a fresh take on the apocalypse genre, focusing on climate change and telling a small, personal story. Jodie Comer delivers a vulnerable and captivating performance in the lead role, showcasing her acting range and talent. The film’s direction by Mahalia Belo is reminiscent of Terrence Malick, with a slow pace and emphasis on naturalistic visuals, while still having plenty of her own distinct vision.

The End We Start From had its World Premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.