Hey Friends, I've been really sick this week so I filmed, edited and uploaded this video a little late. It worked out to be the perfect time to be able to watch the movie and listen to the book. I am going to skip Monday's upload and rest tomorrow, then I'll be back on track for regular uploads. Thanks for sticking with me!
I hope you're feeling better soon! Me, my fiance and 3 and 13 year old got really sick about 8 days ago, we got tested for covid and thank god it came back negative 😅 Anyhow, thank you for taking the time out to film, edit, share and have this discussion with us even though you're not feeling well... just know WE ALL APPRECIATE YOU Sending healing vibes your way!!! Stay Spooky and Get Well Soon 🖤🖤🖤
The fact that his fantasies are like him being a painter or a writer or studying quantum physics or dating a girl he saw in a bar but in a reality (as an oldman) he ends up being a janitor. That's very sad and lonely and tragic.
yeah once i understood the story a lil more i realized how sad and kinda relatable the story actually is. i think the thing to take away from this film is dont let dreams, desires, and opportunities pass you by or you'll end up at the end of your line thinking about what could've been. pretty simple really
F*ck that’s depressing. I had the book in my wishlist on Audible for a while but took it out once I saw so many reviews saying that it just ends without an ending or explanation for the odd things that occur throughout the book. Then I saw the movie and was so confused so I listened to the book which I just finished today and still was confused. Your comment made it all come together for me and, man, that’s dark.
thifanny Yes, I’m pretty sure you’re right. I do remember it being discussed in the book by the investigators or whoever was talking about the suicide.
thifanny yes in the book he actually was a physicist once but could not deal with the work environment (likely due to social anxiety) and quit to be a janitor
The scene where Toni Collette's character was repeating a word "genus" as "genius, genius, genius" and the son yells "genus" then Toni Collette's face changed like she was gonna cry or something. I found that unsettling and kinda sad.
Yeah, me too. I was like "You monster! let her be!". Then I understood that he was kinda making her responsible for what he ended up to be. His mother insisted in the fact that Jack never stood out in anything but he always tried his best. That was also really sad. There's also that part where the mother says something like "Take some risks!" referring to the girlfriend going to the basement. I guess that means that, at some point, Jake's mother pressured him in to changing his life before it was too late.
I don’t think Kaufman intended to direct an exact adaptation of the book - he used it to explore other ideas, like time, the fear of aging and death, or how we are the products of the art we consume. I do love how the film and the book are different because the approches and intents were not the same.
It throws things off when the voice over is so directly taken from the book. I think I would have rather seen a unique story with this take rather than taking from the original story.
For me this film was a perfect 10/10 until we get to the interpretive dance and beyond. It felt like it was trying to be too surreal for surrealism sake. Your explanation certainly cleared the ending up for me.
If you watch Oklahoma you would better understand the dance scene. There is a ballet scene with doubles actors as in the film. It wasn’t just a Kaufman invention. I understand that it could take you out of the movie but there are many references that would be missed and may seem out of place if the viewer is not familiar with the source material being referenced.
@@brianzybala9671 I’d say a basic understanding of Oklahoma is crucial - as a die hard fan of Kaufman. Before I did some research I felt the same way. But. Once I understood what was happening, especially the knife fight between Curly and Jud but with the subverted ending, I was beyond freaking wow’d.
Me too. I enjoyed the experience of watching the movie, and I enjoyed the performances immensely, but I never really figured out the very basic conceit of the movie. I watched one of those "explained" videos here on RUclips, and quite honestly felt like a dolt. The twist really was pretty obvious, with plenty of clues, but I just rolled with the experience instead of trying to understand anything, so the lightbulb never went on over my head.
I like the movie because it's well made and acted, but I'm absolutely confused at some parts of the movie. It's unfortunate that we need to read the book to understand the meaning.
i think that's the whole point, it's from the point of view of a deeply depressed and mentally ill person and i don't think we can fully grasp their understanding of life unless we know a mentally ill person or we are depressed ourselves. we're not meant to understand them on a surface level that's why we need to dig deep into their world and how their minds works for us to REALLY understand them. but that's just my opinion :)
You hit the nail on the head with this review. I told my husband, “if I hadn’t have read the book first, I wouldn’t have known what the hell I had just watched”. I also think that sick feeling of dread was missing from the movie. As I read the book, I was overwhelmed with a sense of unease, particularly when she went into the basement with the backstory of the questionable brother. It felt so dark...the movie just felt confusing and it lost that unsettling aspect! I enjoyed the movie for what it was but it definitely took from the horror aspects of the book I think.
I never read the book and while watching the film I had that sick feeling of dread, especially when she went downstairs. Do you think the reason why you didn't feel that was because of your familiarity with the source material?
I knew nothing about this film and got so sucked in. The first half filled me with dread not knowing what was happening, and the second made me sad for Jake. But man, can we talk about how creepy the dog scenes were?! The dog shaking and not stopping creeped me out so much 😂 it was one of the points where I realized nothing happening in that house was real. And I had also forgotten Toni Colette was in it so when she came down the stairs I was like YESSS I'm in for a treat now.
I suffer from maladaptive day dreaming and this movie really resonated with me, it was almost painful to watch. I need to listen to the audiobook now! :)
That’s cool to know someone else out there deals with it too. It’s a confusing thing to cope with, hang in there. Yeah, I don’t think a lot is know about it, so it’s not really talked about.
I read the book first, and so I had the opposite feeling. I didn't understand what was going on in the book until the end. In the movie, I felt like it was really obvious early on.
- SPOILERS FOR ANYONE READING THE COMMENTS WHO HASNT SEEN THE MOVIE - no, it’s just jake replaying the different memories he has of his parents, or memories of how they would behave. it’s similar to how he only remembers his dog shaking - the dog stays stuck in that moment he remembers. he remembers his parents in certain moments, which happen to range from when they were young to when they were dying. he does, however, fantasize about the young woman praising him for taking care of his mother when she had to be fed. BUT your assumption definitely comes from a place of understanding that throughout the film, yes, jake does change out certain details (the young woman’s name, the story of how they met, the young woman’s clothes, etc) to see if any of his fantasies would play out the way he wanted them to.
Who cares? I think the scenes were way too vague to the point where any explanation can be correct. Your version might be correct, mine might also be correct which leads me to think: Who cares, if it's that open for interpretation then it's really not saying anything. Sorry for the rant, just venting.
The movie is not really vague at all. I suffer from chronic depression and anxiety to the point where I dont have meaningful relationships anymore, and everything in this movie was incredibly, and literally painfully obvious to me. I guess if you dont sufferfrom those things you might think its ambiguous, but its not. Its sad. But accurate in what its depiction of having a chronic mental disorder can feel like. To prefer your fantasy of what might have been, much more than the lonely reality you find yourself in. I kinda felt like the theme was written in neon spray paint.
Another clue is that Jake's daydream includes a scene from the movie the old janitor is watching about the burgers. And in the car they talk about how movies influence you and change your perspective
The way they met also changed to the scene from the movie cause he says they met at a diner while he ordered the santa fe burger the same as the movie the janitor was watching
I think as a person who hasn’t read the book this movie makes no sense. Now that I know what it all means I think it had a lot of potential, and if the twist was explained it would be great. I also hadn’t seen Oklahoma so that was soo confusing
The movie just reveals it's hand way too early in my opinion, I just stopped analysing and speculating about the movie after the first third and started thinking to myself "can we just get to the damn ending already?". That's how I felt about it.
I hadn’t read the book at all, and I feel I was able to pick up on a lot of these things, even on just a first watch. I absolutely love that the twist wasn’t explained, because I like being able to figure things out for myself, and I feel I haven’t figured out everything within the movie yet (I’ve seen it twice now), but I don’t see that as a detriment at all.
I haven’t read the book but the movie does make sense to me. Then again I’m a Charlie Kaufman fan and kinda know what to expect with his movies at this point
I can't believe I never knew this channel for the longest time! I've only recently came across it, and I've been on a huuge binging spree ever since!! I love horror and her content is always so good, I love these videos and hope Emma's channel grows and grows because she deserves more recognition because she works so hard!
I love what Kaufman did so much with this film. I'm one of the seldom few who really disliked the book. I found the twist to be cheap horror, a "oooh it was actually a suicidal mentally ill man the whole time" gotcha moment that left a bad taste in my mouth. But I thought the movie really elevated the source material and made me really feel the horror of the mind, the horror of getting older and of being alone, in a way that the book didn't get across as successfully for me. Really really loved the film, best of 2020 so far for me for sure!
It's very interesting as I thought the completely opposite. I actually found myself disliking the movie because the trailers advertised it as a thriller and I found no thriller elements whatsoever, it also felt excruciatingly long in my opinion. Yes the reveal in the book wasn't the most creative but it worked for me, it kept me creeped out and engaged until the very last page. I'd also argue that the structure of the book also works as an audiobook (it won a prize I believe), which sort of reinforces my thoughts that he did not need to change the story this much, especially since it was very likely that people who hadn't read the book would see it. I doubt I would have gotten the point of the story without having read the book. To me the need to make the film very Kauffman-esque took away from the atmosphere that the book created. Just my opinion but it was interesting to read someone thought the exact opposite :)
Great review(s). The film really lost me after they leave the farmhouse. I knew, cos this is Kaufman, that I wasn't gonna get a neat beginning, middle and end but the last third to me, definitely dipped into pretentious territory. It felt like it was striving too hard to be analysed - is it about this, or this, ah no, it's about this whilst at the same time, it was kind of about nothing. I'm don't want to my hand held through films but this felt intentionally impenetrable and ultimately a little hollow. I really enjoyed the opening car journey and farmhouse scenes too.
At first I thought she had been drugged, or was bitten by something, due to the rabies discussion in the car, as well as the ice cream girl having scabs all over her. At first I thought the memories were from the perspective of the unnamed woman, who had dementia (as people with dementia can fill in gaps in memory with false moments/memories), and the events at the house were of the times she visited her boyfriend’s parents at different stages of life, but all compiled into one “memory/event.” By the end I understood what was going on though. My first inclination something wasn’t right was when we saw Jake put the thermos away (that he never brought with him), which was the same one as the Janitor took to work with him. But I was still questioning “what” exactly was going on
I was so mad when I finished this movie, like I wasted 2 hours of my life. I was invested at the beginning, intrigued at the weirdness of the family. And then... nothing!
I think Kauffman is a better writer than director. It feels like he made the movie for himself and not the audience. Having said that I enjoy the most of the movie albeit completely confused at some parts.
You know what you are right. Kaufman does makes movies for himself. Sometimes they can be really endearing like Being John malkovich or The Adaption or ESOSM or sometimes they can be really confusing and self-indulgent like Synecdoche, New York or this. Seems like Kaufman needs other directors to make his story more palpable to the audience.
@@deepakjetly1717 Absolutely.... Those movies he didn't direct were masterpieces. I do like all the movies Kaufman directed but it could have been amazing if he let Spike Jonze at the helm.
Absolutely correct. I thought this myself when the film ended. He needed a director with discipline, and an appreciation of the audience's needs. The ending of the story felt wilfully, almost obstinately obscure. It felt like Kaufman was contemptuous of the idea that it should be clear to the audience what the story is about. I feel Kaufman is actually generally contemptuous of the audience. Another director would temper this contempt, as it did with Eternal Sunshine, or Adaptation.
I thought this film was about 30 minutes too long. I love slow burn movies that take you in a journey, but this movie had me grinding my teeth with impatience. I also loved the book, but the book is very short, it doesn’t linger, and it delivers its story with precision. The film version would have benefited from that same precision. Because so much of the story takes place in a car with two people having a conversation, I feel like they should have streamlined those scenes. They also replaced her bizarre story about an encounter with an older man as a child with one of the most depressing poems in existence. I did like what they did with the parents, however. I thought they made what was going a little more clear than in the book, but you were still left confused.
The speech at the end of the movie also from the movie A Beautiful Mind. Enjoyed the subtle lampooning of how Hollywood manipulates expectations of life and love. Great video, subscribed.
Holy shit lol I'm a new sub and I literally just had the thought "I' hope she reviews I'm Thinking of Ending Things" and boom like an hour later you put this up! Thanks a bunch haha
One of my favorite parts that I don't remember was in the book was the use of films and media. They talk about movies and Jake acts out scenes from the movie he sees. I loved that part.
the book makes more sense to me, the message is easier to pick up. i think that if they had stuck closer to the source the movie wouldve been alot less confusing.
@@YoungYahtz94 yeah, the book definitely conveys the message a lot better even if you don't get it at first (i didn't, had to reread the last few chapters lol). i really like how the movie kept the changing details and disorienting aspects, but totally changing the ending really blew the story that the novel was trying to tell in the first place
I read the book years ago and it was legitimately scary, I was so excited for the film and unfortunately was so disappointed. I actually hated the choices he made, and I think he completely ruined the ending. He made it unnecessarily inaccessible to most people, and lost all of the sinister and frightening aspects.
This was honestly the first time that a movie made me feel like I as an idiot for not understanding what was going on. The fact that she never addresses the phone calls really threw me off too.
Never clicked faster on a video watched this on netflix yesterday and was looking for an ending explanation as I enjoyed it but was definitely confused 😂 and from my favourite youtuber :)
I enjoyed the movie, but I would've loved it even more if I hadn't read the book first, cause they're completely different... The movie was more drama, and the book definitely more psychological thriller. I could see the clues at the beginning of the movie, like when he was mopping the floors and listening the theatre club performing, and Jake and "Lucy" hearing the same song in the car, was the earliest giveaway. Or when the mother mentioned something about his 50th birthday. I was also so excited to watch The Dream Ballet and all the Oklahoma references cause I'm an avid Broadway and I was delighted by that. Again, Charlie Kaufman did it. I think it's another piece that you have to go back a few times, if you want to get the most out of it, if you aren't much of a book reader. The book got to me in ways I never thought it would, probably because I'm clinically depressed and also have anxiety, I've been there, and I can see the book being a game of dissociation, where you daydream your life away in hopes to be saved from this darkness in your mind. Thanks for your review and hope you getter better soon enough💚
@@spookyastronauts I'm sort of in the minority . I thought the book was interesting but only okay, and I didn't really like to film it all. I do like it a bit more having watched your video all the way through. Thank you for the explanations. I needed them.
I thought it was about suicide the whole time lol. Also why do you think she has different coloured clothes throughout the film? (orange pink yellow blue) and why were their scratches on the door? And why is he so weird around his family? It came off like it was abusive or something.
She has different clothing/names/glasses because Jake has made her up and that is his delusion slipping. When you day dream or dream, things arent consistant, this was supposed to represent that.
It basically is about suicide. Jake is the old janitor fantasizing about what his life couldve been, the "im thinking of ending things" line is metaphorical. Since its all in his head and the girl technically IS him, when coming from her perspective it seems like shes talking about the relationship. In reality though, its Jake talking about ending his own life. The scratched door lead to the basement, where the "truth" lives. Thats why she finds the janitor uniforms and the paintings and poems she thought were hers down there. Thats why Jake didnt want her there..its meant to represent Jakes consciousness. Lastly, he was weird around his family because Jake is socially awkward, part of the reason he never found love and was so shut in. The book made it all way more clear tbh
Same here. As soon as I saw the title of the movie (I had no idea there was a book and I never read the synopsis or anything) I immediately thought suicide and that’s all I thought throughout the movie
As the others above have said, its about the janitor's imagined girlfriend. He spends the whole movie switching between different scenarios. One second she's a painter, the next she's a physicist, because she is just a personification of his regrets in life. A human "what if..." if you will
Emma, in the movie, did you notice also how everyone’s (except for Jake) clothes changed multiple times? The young woman’s sweater would disappear and reappear, and when she wasn’t wearing it, her jewelry was different as well. And then when they leave she’s wearing s blue jacket, which was red on the drive there.
This movie and 2008`s Synecdoche New York is why Charlie Kaufman is my favourite screenwriter (director) the abstract approach to existential horror and coping with it making some of the best works ever made on cinema
I absolutely LOVED that I didn’t know what was going on in the movie. I can mostly predict the endings of movies so the misdirection was so interesting and fresh. The “ah ha” moment felt earned and so much more impactful because for me it happened in the last 10ish minutes.
When I saw the movie I was feeling paranoid and like someone was watching me. I think that’s the scary aspect, the movie starts to tell you that something bad is happening since the beginning. And then when the climax came I just felt like I was dreaming, and then it left me shocked for the entire day. Definetely an experience that everyone should experiment
I read this book a couple months ago and I fell in love with it! It sucked me right in and the ending was mind boggling. I just finished watching the movie and ... I did not like it. I feel like if I hadn’t read the book before seeing the movie I would have no clue what the ending meant and would be very confused! So I definitely agree with you that you NEED to read the book first before the movie! I feel like there should be a warning before the movie starts saying that ... it makes the movie more enjoyable and provides a different experience.
So glad you're feeling better. ♥️ I liked the movie, but I'm not yet ready to rate it on letterboxd. Thanks for breaking down the differences between the book and the movie. ♥️
I adored this film! And I wasn’t gonna read the book but I definitely going to now after hearing it’s quite different. I loved the films VERY ambiguous ending but I know that not many will 😂
I read first the book, way back, before the news of Kaufmann's film apeared. Really good review and vs between book and film. About the parents act differences(movie & book), I tend to think that Kaufmann's vision of it has to do with the mental state of the janitor. He is aging, he is an old man and life has pass through him. Maybe even starting to be senile. His fantasy is made with pieces of memories of his entire life. That's why the parents are old and young. the same with the dog, his only memory is of him shaking. If you watch the movie through the glass of a delussional old janitor, tired of a meaningless life, everything fits and make a lot of sense. Love your channel!!!! sorry for my english ;).
Your summary of the movie at the beginning of this video sounds SO MUCH MORE interesting than the actual film...which says a lot. I was excited about this film for quite a while, but ended up feeling deeply disappointed. I feel like a piece of art should be enjoyable without thorough research on some very specific references. I get that this film is more of a love letter to the book, but I hate needing to have the film explained to me in some forms. It feels entirely like being in the same room with a group of people who are sharing inside jokes that I was never a part of - it's just absolutely confusing and so uncomfortable.
I still really liked this movie, but my husband and I figured it all out in about 10 minutes. I figured out who the janitor was the second he was on screen. Having seen other films by Charlie and watching/reading a lot of stuff with similar themes made it so I wasn't really watching this blindly and I couldn't be super surprised. I want to read the book since it seems to be getting a lot of praise, and might give me something to be surprised by. Good job explaining everything. :)
I was thinking that the whole movie but the ending just kinda squashed that thought. Like she said, I think the really long family dinner distracted from what we were supposed to understand. Although, the whole sequence at the house was my favorite part of the movie.
If you read the book you realize that’s not true. The movie was just much more vague. It’s not completely abstract, there is a correct interpretation, but the movie doesn’t capture that completely
I got to admit that when I read the book back in March at the ending I was like WHAT IT¨S GOING ON? Cause my fisrt language is not english so I was thinking maybe I am having troubles understanding this cause I don´t get it , especially in the part where the pages only say WHAT ARE YOU WATING FOR? , so it took me a while to understand the ending and then I was obssesed with the idea that Jake talks about that reality only happens once, a story is just a version of the reality and not quite accurate from what really happened, so I was so exited of watching the film cause I wanted to see how they´ll make the plot twist, but the movie I dont know I think it tries to make the viewer to think a lot, a did like it, did not enjoyed it as I was hoping to honestly especially cause the end it feel different not a straigh forward ending as in the book.
I would have NEVER understood the movie if I hadn't read the book, but I think the movie did an incredible job capturing the essence of the book's themes. This is one of the few books/movies that I am confident I will go back and rewatch/reread sometime in the future because I just loved it so much.
You nailed this video and helped me tie up some of the loose strings that I had after watching the film. Haven't read the book, but the comparisons do make me wanna check it out. While the cinematography was beautiful, and I loved the usage of "Oklahoma," the performances of the leads really sold this to me. A worthwhile watch!
as someone who didn't read the book i thought it was a deconstruction of the "manic pixie dream girl" trope from the woman's perspective. The movie is what happens after the credits in a romance movie where the guy gets the girl yet she is unfulfilled, she can't break up with him because she cannot exist without him. Throughout the movie she talks about how she doesn't want to be with Jake anymore and knows it won't last but she never gets to break up with him. She has tons of hobbies and is very smart yet is not given a name and is settling for a guy who is awkward and bland. She is also incredibly out of place in the movie as the world changes yet she stays the same. I saw the scene of the photo changing from her to him and their similar interests as "she exists for him" rather than "they are the same person". The way she gradually became more and more angry about her dislike towards him made it feel like they were forced together for his sake rather than her's. The dance at the end would show the contrast of their perfect relationship with the bleak reality of not being attracted to who you're with. I know that this isn't the intended meaning of the movie and I understand how Jake's death plays into it, just thought I'd share :)
I kind of agree. I would have loved so much to see a lot of the shocking stuff in the book onscreen. The book had me on the edge of my seat my entire time, the film just had me shrugging and saying "Oh, that's interesting".
I've never read the book but I feel like the twist was made pretty clear in the film. As soon as the ballet part comes to a close, it's fairly obvious that we've been watching the janitor's fantasy. There are a TON more clues than you mentioned throughout the film about the mixed up identities and idealizations. Sadly I wasn't very privy to the Oklahoma references, nor the Beautiful Mind references even though I've actually seen that film ages ago.
I felt like the whole movie was about how person feels the story or movie, or music, or painting, or what ever you call art. You are in a dream, you are a man and a woman, old and young, dead and in a birth when you let the art affect you. Yeah, I know movie was not about that, but I had that wave I surfed in.
First off 👏👏 to you for pushing through one more time @spookyastronauts & I liked your POV'S on it. Long story short on my end, just WOOW This was a dense journey from book to film. I got the message & meaning in bits, even with it's complexity in all the turns & direction it went. Thanks again 🤘🏼🤘🏼✌🏾
I also saw the movie before reading the book. I had a really hard time picking a favourite- the book was far creepier, but I think the movie did a better job of addressing the subject matter (I.e. when Toni Collette's character was talking about Jake's childhood). Loved your review!
Thanks for the review, I was interested in hearing from someone who had not read the book before seeing the film. I read the book before seeing the film and I can't imagine that I would have followed the film or enjoyed it at all without having read the book. Because I read the book I was initially a little disappointed at the liberties the movie took but then began to see how creative and interesting the ways in which the movie took some of the same elements (such as the phone calls, her name, the dinner with the parents) from the book and approached them in a wildly different manner.
Questions I still have after reading the book and watching the movie: what is the point of the new swing set at the beginning? It Jake, the girl, and the janitor are the same person, how does the girl get chased through the school by Jake the janitor? What was going on with the time travel at the parents house in the movie? The pig and the old black and white movie at the end also could use some explanation
Swing set = jake mixing up new and old memories as this entire movie is happening in his head (except the janitor bits). Same things applies to the time travel at the parents house. Girl chased by the janitor = she’s a fragment/thought in jakes head that represents his desire to live. More like a thought trying to convince him to stay alive. Jake, the janitor is chasing her because he wants to end things.
As a horror fan (I've seen over a thousand of them), a rare good one from the 1977 which involves zombie nazi is Shock Waves, starring Peter Cushing and Brooke Adams. There is a copy available for free on youtube.
Emma! I just finished the film and was left feeling so cold, but your explanation/comparison has totally nailed why certain things fell flat. The book sounds so compelling and I think the film absolutely tries to hard to throw you off its scent, to the point of the ending actually feeling undeserved (to me at least). I can always trust you to have something interesting to say about any film. Thank u!
In the first 15 minutes of the film Jake mentions Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by Wordsworth. Wordsworth is one of my favourite poets and I remember studying this poem during my undergrad in English lit, I thought it might be significant so I paused and reread the poem. With the meaning of that poem in my mind the film made a lot of sense to me. I suggest reading the poem if you’re still trying to understand what the film is about. Personally I went in blind and it made sense to me, it’s a 5/5 for me. I love this movie!
My first conclusion (and for the sake of my sanity, ONLY conclusion) was that the janitor was writing the movie in his head while at work. It’s a story but there are tangents because he reflects on his past life, his interests, his anxieties etc. He also see outside influences that affect the story, like the movie that he watched or that lonely girl in the high school hallway who worked at the ice cream shop. I’m gonna go with this conclusion to avoid the risk of being confused lol
I feel the movie was more about it’s themes than about the mystery or plot. Without spoiling it I’ll say that I kinda guessed what the mystery was, but I also guessed many other things that it might’ve been and wasn’t, and the ending doesn’t reveal which is the “real” one. I just like it better that way, as a cinematic reflection on age, time, gender, relationships, memories, nostalgia, etc. than a cut and dry mystery with the sole “right” answer.
If you like David Thewlis, you should see the film Naked by Mike Leigh. It’s not a horror or thriller film, but Thewlis’s performance in it is terrific.
I never read the book and watched the movie, Spoilers warning to not read the rest of my comment. I honestly thought it was a metaphor for Alzheimer's, Jake's dad had it in the film and it seemed like a clue like it was genetic. So I thought it was the janitor trying to remember this person he dated, but kept messing up on the name. His memories being interwoven with different points of his life. And the young women is kind of like the one who got away. The main things that threw me off were the ice cream shop, which I chalked up to be his fear of his high school life. And the whole ending sequence with the dance and weird fight sequence getting stabbed by the janitor. That one was hard to explain, because the janitor is killing his past self for the young women, which I kind of thought made sense because he wants what he had back then. Either way it is a trippy movie, that really made me pay attention to every detail in each scene to try to figure the movie out.
It's nice to see you're feeling better Emma. Being sick sucks. Of course you're allowed to take a couple days off if you're not feeling well your health always comes first.
The movie was bizarre, but fascinating. It lost me a few times, especially during the car scenes or at the end, but it always managed to pull me back in.
Perfect timing. Watched the movie last night and, while I loved the surrealism aspect, the movie ended with a WTF?. I knew that such an original movie must have a book behind it and your review clarified everything. Thank you. I'm off to listen to the book.
Great vid and discussion. I think they're pretty good companion pieces that serve to make each other medium better. If you watch first then you get to direct it with the book, if you start the book you get to see an abstract art piece with insight and awe at the visuals. I don't know yet if one is better than the other, I don't think it matters much. I really do think they compliment each other and if you're down to consume both you definitely should.
Hey Emma, I hope you´re feeling much better now? I watched the movie yesterday and liked it very much. But I´m also glad that I read the novel before, because the movie is a very different beast IMO.
Even though I think adaptations should hold up on their own,This movie is actually one of those rare adaptations for me that makes me interested in the source material.
i'll answer your question: i read the book months ago and i had NO idea wht the twist was bc unlike the movie, the janitor isn't introdued until the very end/climax which us basically the point where you are supposed to start piecing stuff together. reading it, i legit thought it was about ending a relationship. though, you could tell things were off bc in the book, the woman is never given a name which you come to find out makes sense bc he never acctually approached her at the college bar, so he never knew her name.
I'm curious if you're familiar with Charlie Kaufman's work, specifically his other adaptations. He's always played fast and loose with how he adapts a book into a film and I read an article before the book came out where a cast member said they only kept about 25% of the book's dialogue. I personally really enjoyed the film, but I understand that having read the book and having certain expectations of Kaufman as a filmmaker would probably help soften the weirder aspects of the film's artistic choices. I really loved the changes they made to the ending, it felt much more sympathetic to Jake as a character. In the book, he terrified me because we constantly seeing his actions from people outside looking in, whether it's the young woman narrating or the the police who find him. I found it difficult to understand his motivations and why he'd resort to living in this universe in his head. I'd watch youtube analysis, but everyone seemed to have a different take on what it all meant. Seeing Jake as the janitor wrestling with his day dreams turned delusions and accomplishing everything he ever wanted, but never could helped me understand him as a character. In this version, he's disappointed and angry at himself for not accomplishing everything he wanted to do like create art or study quantum physics. He's disrespected by the kids at the school he works for, which is undercut with the line he says while caring for his mother "it feels like no one sees the good things you do." I like they made Jake more sympathetic. I think Kaufman was the perfect person to adapt this book. His specific style captured the unease and dreamlike atmosphere the book portrayed.
I've never read the book and was definitely scratching my head at some points, but also it definitely had an impact on me, at one point I was crying but didn't know why. So I spent a while thinking about it after and came to some conclusions of what it meant to me. Now watching this with the book explained I think I was pretty close. I viewed it as a fading recollection of a trip that may have happened with an idealized version of an ex-girlfriend, replaying the moments over and over to try and see where it went wrong. Which eventually leads to a complete mental breakdown for Jake/The Janitor. I think with the way Charlie Kaufman approaches memory, relationships, and identity, and how (like in Adaptation) he tries to deconstruct the source novels, I wouldn't be surprised if he got something different out of the story and decided to take the film in that direction. I think it leaves the film open to more interpretation, focused more on evoking certain feelings, where the book sounds like it gives you more concrete answers. But examining the film with those answers in mind will reveal an internal logic that might not seem like it's there on first viewing, and you did a great job of showing how some of those moments piece together. Really loved the film even though I was baffled by a lot of it, will require multiple rewatches to really connect more of the dots. Definitely want to check out the book too even after having it spoiled by this video!
Charlie Kaufmann is a fucking genius, his book dropped a while ago and then this movie is another of his masterpiece, what a great year for him not so much for the world
I definitely think the book should be read first and wasn’t sure how I felt about the ending of the movie at first. But as more time passes, it has really sat with me and made me think more. And made me strangely much more emotional than the book did. I like that they changed it a bit I guess and left more open to all the questions and interpretations. It’s such a thought-provoking story either way, I think I can safely now say I loved both!
I haven't read the book but the film by itself made sense to me, actually! thank you for talking about the ending of the book though and how different the whole thing is, it does shed a light on some stuff I wasn't completely sure about, but I do think the film stands pretty solid on its own. I really liked the ending of the film! so dreamy. the whole thing is so dreadful and weird. anyway, I hope you feel better soon Emma! take care x
Fantastic comparison of the book to movie . The movie was very intriguing for the first 80 minutes , great acting and mysterious . Your explaination of the events made sense of the unanswered questions from the movie’s finale . Thanks for the informative video .
Not gonna lie, I had no fucking clue that she ended up being Jake in the end, even with captions calling her young woman. I knew I liked it, but I thought it was a time loop with her stuck in an abusive relationship. But yeah, this makes more sense now 🤣
I had no idea what was going on in the movie then I listened to the audiobook and it only clicked that it was all Jake’s daydreams once I watches this vid🤣
I watched the movie a few years ago and just read the book today. The movie feels like a really familiar fever dream. Thats the best way i can describe the movie is an intense fever dream. Its so strange how nothing makes sense but the characters are acting like its normal or just barely acknowledging stuff. I dont think it matters which one you watch or read first if youre already planning on consuming both because the movie is a different experience than the book. The movie was way more unsettling and offputting than the book was to me. The book is creepy but the dialogue and editing of the movie is so strange when you dont know whats going on. I do agree tho with reading the book first if you arent sure tho because if you hate the movie and dont understand it you probably wont read the book.
This is a great review of the book and film. Thanks! I have not read the book, but you may believe that the book is "clearer" because you didn't really have time to think about how the story changes according to the medium through which it is told. You say you watched the film and then immediately listened to the book, right? You watched a film and then, in a sense, read an "explanation" of it; but a film is different than a novel and cannot tell a story in the same way. Kaufman uses many visual images and subtle -- but quite telling -- audio and visual clues through his films, and this one is no exception (most of Kaufman's films take place in the protagonist's mind or intercut reality with memory or perception). In "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," Lucy looks right at the camera -- breaking the fourth wall -- just before and near the end of a monologue conveying the truth of the film: what we are seeing is "bone" and the "landscape" of Jake's mind (like the paintings he tried to recreate that his father couldn't understand). It is a skeletal outline of what could have been (an intimate relationship with a woman) coloured by what actually was (his loneliness, isolation, inability to pursue his dreams because he had to care for his aging parents) interrupted with what actually is (working as a custodian in the very place he was bullied and abused as a teen). The film intercuts all of these "realities" as Jake moves through his day: he goes about his work, watches some rehearsals, eats his lunch while watching a movie, and then -- once he has completed his job and even cleaned the snow off his car (all signs that he intends to go home) -- he decides to give into his depression and end his life. I would love to read the book, but I just want to convey that the film really does make sense if you look carefully. Some clues are: Jake can hear Lucy's thoughts, Lucy's name changes throughout (Lucy, Lucia, Amy, Ames), she recites poetry and a film review that are later revealed to be from Jake's own readings, her career changes (student, poet, artist, waitress), her clothes change (sweater, no sweater, blue stripes, yellow stripes, red coat, blue coat, etc), as well as her hairstyle (loose, pinned back, hat, no hat, scarf, etc), the dog appears only when mentioned (and usually seen shaking as if trying to dry himself far too long than is normal) and we see that Jake has the dog's ashes in his room. His parents age and change throughout the vist. These are just a few of the visual cues but I urge you to watch it again and consider the story being told in the film rather than the one told in the novel. They cannot be the same story precisely because the medium differs (an important theme in the film as well). If you read all this, thanks for your patience! I love this film so much and am eager to read the book now!
I think like any other Charlie Kaufman script, this movie is designed to gain on multiple viewings. Yes, reading the book first helps a lot, but patient viewers have every single clue they need to understand it. My favorite thing about the movie was it's heavy reliance on ageing. Charlie always tries to reflect on our own mortality and the effects of time, so it was incredible seeing the ending change from a man about to kill himself to an old man reflecting on his unfulfilling life as he approaches death. It was bleak, beautiful and deeply sad, all at once. I also like the hints about his father having early stages of a mental illness, because those are usually hereditary and might explain his memories being vague and inconsistent. The last thing I loved was the way film itself is an integral part of the story, with the janitor's memories being constantly mixed with movies he has seen, bluring his reality. I loved both the book and the movie for what they both are.
I really do love those weird movies that make you think in a different way but I do believe I have to read the book because the movie was a big no for me. It was musings of a perspective that I'm just not intrested in, ah well.
![Tee Grizzley - Robbery 8 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/34_vkNV6wrU/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Friends, I've been really sick this week so I filmed, edited and uploaded this video a little late. It worked out to be the perfect time to be able to watch the movie and listen to the book. I am going to skip Monday's upload and rest tomorrow, then I'll be back on track for regular uploads. Thanks for sticking with me!
spookyastronauts feel better soon Emma 💐
Get well soon, Emma!
I hope you're feeling better soon! Me, my fiance and 3 and 13 year old got really sick about 8 days ago, we got tested for covid and thank god it came back negative 😅 Anyhow, thank you for taking the time out to film, edit, share and have this discussion with us even though you're not feeling well... just know WE ALL APPRECIATE YOU
Sending healing vibes your way!!!
Stay Spooky and Get Well Soon
🖤🖤🖤
The fact that his fantasies are like him being a painter or a writer or studying quantum physics or dating a girl he saw in a bar but in a reality (as an oldman) he ends up being a janitor. That's very sad and lonely and tragic.
yeah once i understood the story a lil more i realized how sad and kinda relatable the story actually is. i think the thing to take away from this film is dont let dreams, desires, and opportunities pass you by or you'll end up at the end of your line thinking about what could've been. pretty simple really
F*ck that’s depressing. I had the book in my wishlist on Audible for a while but took it out once I saw so many reviews saying that it just ends without an ending or explanation for the odd things that occur throughout the book. Then I saw the movie and was so confused so I listened to the book which I just finished today and still was confused. Your comment made it all come together for me and, man, that’s dark.
Wasn't him a quantum physics in the book? Before he gave everything up and became a janitor? I'm not sure but I remember something like this
thifanny Yes, I’m pretty sure you’re right. I do remember it being discussed in the book by the investigators or whoever was talking about the suicide.
thifanny yes in the book he actually was a physicist once but could not deal with the work environment (likely due to social anxiety) and quit to be a janitor
The film to me was like a panic attack. you’re scared, confused, think you’re going crazy, and afraid you’re gonna die in this very moment.
Agreed! So much dread!
interesting take
More like a strange weed trip.
I said the same thing watching it! It made me very uncomfortable and anxious. Which I’m guessing was the intent.
Weird, I felt anxious during it too!
The scene where Toni Collette's character was repeating a word "genus" as "genius, genius, genius" and the son yells "genus" then Toni Collette's face changed like she was gonna cry or something. I found that unsettling and kinda sad.
Yeah, me too. I was like "You monster! let her be!". Then I understood that he was kinda making her responsible for what he ended up to be. His mother insisted in the fact that Jack never stood out in anything but he always tried his best. That was also really sad. There's also that part where the mother says something like "Take some risks!" referring to the girlfriend going to the basement. I guess that means that, at some point, Jake's mother pressured him in to changing his life before it was too late.
I don’t think Kaufman intended to direct an exact adaptation of the book - he used it to explore other ideas, like time, the fear of aging and death, or how we are the products of the art we consume. I do love how the film and the book are different because the approches and intents were not the same.
Exactly. I feel the same
And I'm glad. I'd rather have someone create something new then just make a movie version of the book
It throws things off when the voice over is so directly taken from the book. I think I would have rather seen a unique story with this take rather than taking from the original story.
I felt a hole in my soul as soon as i finish the movie, now that i have a bigger understanding of it, the hole just grew more
Welcome to life
For me this film was a perfect 10/10 until we get to the interpretive dance and beyond. It felt like it was trying to be too surreal for surrealism sake. Your explanation certainly cleared the ending up for me.
i loved the movie until they left the parents house
If you watch Oklahoma you would better understand the dance scene. There is a ballet scene with doubles actors as in the film. It wasn’t just a Kaufman invention. I understand that it could take you out of the movie but there are many references that would be missed and may seem out of place if the viewer is not familiar with the source material being referenced.
@@brianzybala9671 I’d say a basic understanding of Oklahoma is crucial - as a die hard fan of Kaufman. Before I did some research I felt the same way. But. Once I understood what was happening, especially the knife fight between Curly and Jud but with the subverted ending, I was beyond freaking wow’d.
I'm gonna be honest I didnt understand it even slightly
As a lonely boy, I grasped it because I could relate but still had many questions.
Me too. I enjoyed the experience of watching the movie, and I enjoyed the performances immensely, but I never really figured out the very basic conceit of the movie. I watched one of those "explained" videos here on RUclips, and quite honestly felt like a dolt. The twist really was pretty obvious, with plenty of clues, but I just rolled with the experience instead of trying to understand anything, so the lightbulb never went on over my head.
I like the movie because it's well made and acted, but I'm absolutely confused at some parts of the movie. It's unfortunate that we need to read the book to understand the meaning.
The girlfriend didn’t even exist.
i think that's the whole point, it's from the point of view of a deeply depressed and mentally ill person and i don't think we can fully grasp their understanding of life unless we know a mentally ill person or we are depressed ourselves. we're not meant to understand them on a surface level that's why we need to dig deep into their world and how their minds works for us to REALLY understand them. but that's just my opinion :)
You hit the nail on the head with this review. I told my husband, “if I hadn’t have read the book first, I wouldn’t have known what the hell I had just watched”. I also think that sick feeling of dread was missing from the movie. As I read the book, I was overwhelmed with a sense of unease, particularly when she went into the basement with the backstory of the questionable brother. It felt so dark...the movie just felt confusing and it lost that unsettling aspect! I enjoyed the movie for what it was but it definitely took from the horror aspects of the book I think.
Thanks Alli, I was very confused. But it was still beautiful to watch
I definitely felt that sense of dread, having not read the book. It was so bleak and melancholy, but there was always this ominous undertone.
I never read the book and while watching the film I had that sick feeling of dread, especially when she went downstairs. Do you think the reason why you didn't feel that was because of your familiarity with the source material?
fredguy2 it very well could be the case! I sort of had the book on a pedestal and loved it so much that perhaps I felt disappointed in comparison!
@@allixbbyx Totally understandable. That's almost always the case for me too, if I read the book before seeing the movie.
I knew nothing about this film and got so sucked in. The first half filled me with dread not knowing what was happening, and the second made me sad for Jake. But man, can we talk about how creepy the dog scenes were?! The dog shaking and not stopping creeped me out so much 😂 it was one of the points where I realized nothing happening in that house was real. And I had also forgotten Toni Colette was in it so when she came down the stairs I was like YESSS I'm in for a treat now.
Ikrr omg the dog thing made me cringe
I suffer from maladaptive day dreaming and this movie really resonated with me, it was almost painful to watch. I need to listen to the audiobook now! :)
What is that like?
Me too!! I guess maladaptive daydreaming isn’t that common so that’s why not many people have brung it up. I resonate with bits of the movie as well.
That’s cool to know someone else out there deals with it too. It’s a confusing thing to cope with, hang in there. Yeah, I don’t think a lot is know about it, so it’s not really talked about.
Me too! It was a bit painful to watch because I’m always in my own head!
The hint is always be weary of trip to families farm house
haha!
😂
I read the book first, and so I had the opposite feeling. I didn't understand what was going on in the book until the end. In the movie, I felt like it was really obvious early on.
Because you knew the story.
@@lucasaugusto36 Right!
Was the ageing of the parents old Jake changing his story because he can’t decide if he wants them to be young or old when meeting Lucy?
- SPOILERS FOR ANYONE READING THE COMMENTS WHO HASNT SEEN THE MOVIE -
no, it’s just jake replaying the different memories he has of his parents, or memories of how they would behave. it’s similar to how he only remembers his dog shaking - the dog stays stuck in that moment he remembers. he remembers his parents in certain moments, which happen to range from when they were young to when they were dying. he does, however, fantasize about the young woman praising him for taking care of his mother when she had to be fed. BUT your assumption definitely comes from a place of understanding that throughout the film, yes, jake does change out certain details (the young woman’s name, the story of how they met, the young woman’s clothes, etc) to see if any of his fantasies would play out the way he wanted them to.
Who cares? I think the scenes were way too vague to the point where any explanation can be correct. Your version might be correct, mine might also be correct which leads me to think: Who cares, if it's that open for interpretation then it's really not saying anything. Sorry for the rant, just venting.
The movie is not really vague at all. I suffer from chronic depression and anxiety to the point where I dont have meaningful relationships anymore, and everything in this movie was incredibly, and literally painfully obvious to me. I guess if you dont sufferfrom those things you might think its ambiguous, but its not. Its sad. But accurate in what its depiction of having a chronic mental disorder can feel like. To prefer your fantasy of what might have been, much more than the lonely reality you find yourself in. I kinda felt like the theme was written in neon spray paint.
Another clue is that Jake's daydream includes a scene from the movie the old janitor is watching about the burgers. And in the car they talk about how movies influence you and change your perspective
The way they met also changed to the scene from the movie cause he says they met at a diner while he ordered the santa fe burger the same as the movie the janitor was watching
@@-.-u.uwe.o yeah that was the thing I was talking about lol
I think as a person who hasn’t read the book this movie makes no sense. Now that I know what it all means I think it had a lot of potential, and if the twist was explained it would be great. I also hadn’t seen Oklahoma so that was soo confusing
The movie just reveals it's hand way too early in my opinion, I just stopped analysing and speculating about the movie after the first third and started thinking to myself "can we just get to the damn ending already?". That's how I felt about it.
I hadn’t read the book at all, and I feel I was able to pick up on a lot of these things, even on just a first watch. I absolutely love that the twist wasn’t explained, because I like being able to figure things out for myself, and I feel I haven’t figured out everything within the movie yet (I’ve seen it twice now), but I don’t see that as a detriment at all.
I haven’t read the book but the movie does make sense to me. Then again I’m a Charlie Kaufman fan and kinda know what to expect with his movies at this point
I can't believe I never knew this channel for the longest time! I've only recently came across it, and I've been on a huuge binging spree ever since!! I love horror and her content is always so good,
I love these videos and hope Emma's channel grows and grows because she deserves more recognition because she works so hard!
Thank you so much Imaan!
Yeah this channel is awesome
I love what Kaufman did so much with this film. I'm one of the seldom few who really disliked the book. I found the twist to be cheap horror, a "oooh it was actually a suicidal mentally ill man the whole time" gotcha moment that left a bad taste in my mouth. But I thought the movie really elevated the source material and made me really feel the horror of the mind, the horror of getting older and of being alone, in a way that the book didn't get across as successfully for me. Really really loved the film, best of 2020 so far for me for sure!
It's very interesting as I thought the completely opposite. I actually found myself disliking the movie because the trailers advertised it as a thriller and I found no thriller elements whatsoever, it also felt excruciatingly long in my opinion.
Yes the reveal in the book wasn't the most creative but it worked for me, it kept me creeped out and engaged until the very last page. I'd also argue that the structure of the book also works as an audiobook (it won a prize I believe), which sort of reinforces my thoughts that he did not need to change the story this much, especially since it was very likely that people who hadn't read the book would see it. I doubt I would have gotten the point of the story without having read the book.
To me the need to make the film very Kauffman-esque took away from the atmosphere that the book created.
Just my opinion but it was interesting to read someone thought the exact opposite :)
Great review(s).
The film really lost me after they leave the farmhouse.
I knew, cos this is Kaufman, that I wasn't gonna get a neat beginning, middle and end but the last third to me, definitely dipped into pretentious territory. It felt like it was striving too hard to be analysed - is it about this, or this, ah no, it's about this whilst at the same time, it was kind of about nothing. I'm don't want to my hand held through films but this felt intentionally impenetrable and ultimately a little hollow. I really enjoyed the opening car journey and farmhouse scenes too.
At first I thought she had been drugged, or was bitten by something, due to the rabies discussion in the car, as well as the ice cream girl having scabs all over her. At first I thought the memories were from the perspective of the unnamed woman, who had dementia (as people with dementia can fill in gaps in memory with false moments/memories), and the events at the house were of the times she visited her boyfriend’s parents at different stages of life, but all compiled into one “memory/event.”
By the end I understood what was going on though. My first inclination something wasn’t right was when we saw Jake put the thermos away (that he never brought with him), which was the same one as the Janitor took to work with him. But I was still questioning “what” exactly was going on
I was so mad when I finished this movie, like I wasted 2 hours of my life. I was invested at the beginning, intrigued at the weirdness of the family. And then... nothing!
I think Kauffman is a better writer than director. It feels like he made the movie for himself and not the audience. Having said that I enjoy the most of the movie albeit completely confused at some parts.
You know what you are right. Kaufman does makes movies for himself. Sometimes they can be really endearing like Being John malkovich or The Adaption or ESOSM or sometimes they can be really confusing and self-indulgent like Synecdoche, New York or this.
Seems like Kaufman needs other directors to make his story more palpable to the audience.
@@deepakjetly1717 Absolutely.... Those movies he didn't direct were masterpieces. I do like all the movies Kaufman directed but it could have been amazing if he let Spike Jonze at the helm.
Absolutely correct. I thought this myself when the film ended. He needed a director with discipline, and an appreciation of the audience's needs. The ending of the story felt wilfully, almost obstinately obscure. It felt like Kaufman was contemptuous of the idea that it should be clear to the audience what the story is about. I feel Kaufman is actually generally contemptuous of the audience. Another director would temper this contempt, as it did with Eternal Sunshine, or Adaptation.
A project will always be more satisfying if it is made for the director than if it is simply made for an audience
@@clanofclams2720 I think if you said 'always', it's not always the case. A combination of the two are probably better.
I absolutely love this film. Such a uniquely surreal approach to storytelling.
I thought this film was about 30 minutes too long. I love slow burn movies that take you in a journey, but this movie had me grinding my teeth with impatience. I also loved the book, but the book is very short, it doesn’t linger, and it delivers its story with precision. The film version would have benefited from that same precision. Because so much of the story takes place in a car with two people having a conversation, I feel like they should have streamlined those scenes. They also replaced her bizarre story about an encounter with an older man as a child with one of the most depressing poems in existence. I did like what they did with the parents, however. I thought they made what was going a little more clear than in the book, but you were still left confused.
The speech at the end of the movie also from the movie A Beautiful Mind. Enjoyed the subtle lampooning of how Hollywood manipulates expectations of life and love. Great video, subscribed.
Holy shit lol I'm a new sub and I literally just had the thought "I' hope she reviews I'm Thinking of Ending Things" and boom like an hour later you put this up! Thanks a bunch haha
great minds!
One of my favorite parts that I don't remember was in the book was the use of films and media. They talk about movies and Jake acts out scenes from the movie he sees. I loved that part.
I strongly suggest people read the book first..the book is better anyways imo. The reveal was a shock in the book to me
true ture
Same. I read the book earlier this year and I was excited for this movie when they announced it. I was really disappointed lol
@@caently6150 high expectations for me....then I'm like wtf.....people definitely need to read the book
the book makes more sense to me, the message is easier to pick up. i think that if they had stuck closer to the source the movie wouldve been alot less confusing.
@@YoungYahtz94 yeah, the book definitely conveys the message a lot better even if you don't get it at first (i didn't, had to reread the last few chapters lol). i really like how the movie kept the changing details and disorienting aspects, but totally changing the ending really blew the story that the novel was trying to tell in the first place
I read the book years ago and it was legitimately scary, I was so excited for the film and unfortunately was so disappointed. I actually hated the choices he made, and I think he completely ruined the ending. He made it unnecessarily inaccessible to most people, and lost all of the sinister and frightening aspects.
This was honestly the first time that a movie made me feel like I as an idiot for not understanding what was going on. The fact that she never addresses the phone calls really threw me off too.
Never clicked faster on a video watched this on netflix yesterday and was looking for an ending explanation as I enjoyed it but was definitely confused 😂 and from my favourite youtuber :)
thank you so much Sophia!
@@spookyastronauts no problem :)
@foundflix also has one💚
@@alisiajones6981 thankyou I will check it out :)
I enjoyed the movie, but I would've loved it even more if I hadn't read the book first, cause they're completely different...
The movie was more drama, and the book definitely more psychological thriller. I could see the clues at the beginning of the movie, like when he was mopping the floors and listening the theatre club performing, and Jake and "Lucy" hearing the same song in the car, was the earliest giveaway. Or when the mother mentioned something about his 50th birthday.
I was also so excited to watch The Dream Ballet and all the Oklahoma references cause I'm an avid Broadway and I was delighted by that.
Again, Charlie Kaufman did it. I think it's another piece that you have to go back a few times, if you want to get the most out of it, if you aren't much of a book reader.
The book got to me in ways I never thought it would, probably because I'm clinically depressed and also have anxiety, I've been there, and I can see the book being a game of dissociation, where you daydream your life away in hopes to be saved from this darkness in your mind.
Thanks for your review and hope you getter better soon enough💚
Thank you for sharing all of this, I did think the movie was really beautiful. In a way I like them equally for different reasons
You’re very articulate, calm and don’t over edit. Enjoyed this video, subscribed :).
Leaving a like, but can't watch the whole video until I see the movie and ideally read the book
good choice! thanks for stopping by anyway!
Same, thanks for letting us know to pause at 2:30. Now I know it’s worth watching
@@spookyastronauts I'm sort of in the minority . I thought the book was interesting but only okay, and I didn't really like to film it all. I do like it a bit more having watched your video all the way through. Thank you for the explanations. I needed them.
I thought it was about suicide the whole time lol. Also why do you think she has different coloured clothes throughout the film? (orange pink yellow blue) and why were their scratches on the door? And why is he so weird around his family? It came off like it was abusive or something.
She has different clothing/names/glasses because Jake has made her up and that is his delusion slipping. When you day dream or dream, things arent consistant, this was supposed to represent that.
It basically is about suicide. Jake is the old janitor fantasizing about what his life couldve been, the "im thinking of ending things" line is metaphorical. Since its all in his head and the girl technically IS him, when coming from her perspective it seems like shes talking about the relationship. In reality though, its Jake talking about ending his own life. The scratched door lead to the basement, where the "truth" lives. Thats why she finds the janitor uniforms and the paintings and poems she thought were hers down there. Thats why Jake didnt want her there..its meant to represent Jakes consciousness. Lastly, he was weird around his family because Jake is socially awkward, part of the reason he never found love and was so shut in. The book made it all way more clear tbh
Same here. As soon as I saw the title of the movie (I had no idea there was a book and I never read the synopsis or anything) I immediately thought suicide and that’s all I thought throughout the movie
As the others above have said, its about the janitor's imagined girlfriend. He spends the whole movie switching between different scenarios. One second she's a painter, the next she's a physicist, because she is just a personification of his regrets in life. A human "what if..." if you will
Emma, in the movie, did you notice also how everyone’s (except for Jake) clothes changed multiple times? The young woman’s sweater would disappear and reappear, and when she wasn’t wearing it, her jewelry was different as well. And then when they leave she’s wearing s blue jacket, which was red on the drive there.
Oh very cool!!!!
This movie and 2008`s Synecdoche New York is why Charlie Kaufman is my favourite screenwriter (director) the abstract approach to existential horror and coping with it making some of the best works ever made on cinema
I absolutely LOVED that I didn’t know what was going on in the movie. I can mostly predict the endings of movies so the misdirection was so interesting and fresh. The “ah ha” moment felt earned and so much more impactful because for me it happened in the last 10ish minutes.
When I saw the movie I was feeling paranoid and like someone was watching me. I think that’s the scary aspect, the movie starts to tell you that something bad is happening since the beginning. And then when the climax came I just felt like I was dreaming, and then it left me shocked for the entire day. Definetely an experience that everyone should experiment
omg that detail where the picture changes! So glad I watched this
I read this book a couple months ago and I fell in love with it! It sucked me right in and the ending was mind boggling. I just finished watching the movie and ... I did not like it. I feel like if I hadn’t read the book before seeing the movie I would have no clue what the ending meant and would be very confused! So I definitely agree with you that you NEED to read the book first before the movie! I feel like there should be a warning before the movie starts saying that ... it makes the movie more enjoyable and provides a different experience.
Oh thank god. I was desperately waiting for you to make this video. I felt so stupid for not entirely understanding this movie...
So glad you're feeling better. ♥️ I liked the movie, but I'm not yet ready to rate it on letterboxd.
Thanks for breaking down the differences between the book and the movie. ♥️
Yeah I haven’t rated it yet either!!! 🤪
I adored this film! And I wasn’t gonna read the book but I definitely going to now after hearing it’s quite different. I loved the films VERY ambiguous ending but I know that not many will 😂
You’ll enjoy the book for different reasons!
spookyastronauts excited 🎉
Such an amazing film. Favourite of the year so far. Excellent vid!
0:30... OMG, I love that girl... she was in another cool movie I saw recently, "Beast"... And feel better Ems !
I read first the book, way back, before the news of Kaufmann's film apeared. Really good review and vs between book and film. About the parents act differences(movie & book), I tend to think that Kaufmann's vision of it has to do with the mental state of the janitor. He is aging, he is an old man and life has pass through him. Maybe even starting to be senile. His fantasy is made with pieces of memories of his entire life. That's why the parents are old and young. the same with the dog, his only memory is of him shaking. If you watch the movie through the glass of a delussional old janitor, tired of a meaningless life, everything fits and make a lot of sense. Love your channel!!!! sorry for my english ;).
I thought the whole movie was her story(like it’s presented) but that she had schizophrenia and it was more of a shutter island type thing.
Your summary of the movie at the beginning of this video sounds SO MUCH MORE interesting than the actual film...which says a lot.
I was excited about this film for quite a while, but ended up feeling deeply disappointed. I feel like a piece of art should be enjoyable without thorough research on some very specific references. I get that this film is more of a love letter to the book, but I hate needing to have the film explained to me in some forms. It feels entirely like being in the same room with a group of people who are sharing inside jokes that I was never a part of - it's just absolutely confusing and so uncomfortable.
I still really liked this movie, but my husband and I figured it all out in about 10 minutes. I figured out who the janitor was the second he was on screen. Having seen other films by Charlie and watching/reading a lot of stuff with similar themes made it so I wasn't really watching this blindly and I couldn't be super surprised. I want to read the book since it seems to be getting a lot of praise, and might give me something to be surprised by. Good job explaining everything. :)
Am I SERIOUSLY The Only One Who Thinks This Guy Was A Serial Killer?
I was thinking that the whole movie but the ending just kinda squashed that thought. Like she said, I think the really long family dinner distracted from what we were supposed to understand. Although, the whole sequence at the house was my favorite part of the movie.
If you read the book you realize that’s not true. The movie was just much more vague. It’s not completely abstract, there is a correct interpretation, but the movie doesn’t capture that completely
@@Ollie7707 Okay... Cool... That Makes Sense, Thanks Chica!!
I read the book before watching the movie and even after watching the movie, I still think he killed at least one woman.
@@gashinleedawson4131 YASSSS!! Exactly!!!
I got to admit that when I read the book back in March at the ending I was like WHAT IT¨S GOING ON? Cause my fisrt language is not english so I was thinking maybe I am having troubles understanding this cause I don´t get it , especially in the part where the pages only say WHAT ARE YOU WATING FOR? , so it took me a while to understand the ending and then I was obssesed with the idea that Jake talks about that reality only happens once, a story is just a version of the reality and not quite accurate from what really happened, so I was so exited of watching the film cause I wanted to see how they´ll make the plot twist, but the movie I dont know I think it tries to make the viewer to think a lot, a did like it, did not enjoyed it as I was hoping to honestly especially cause the end it feel different not a straigh forward ending as in the book.
I would have NEVER understood the movie if I hadn't read the book, but I think the movie did an incredible job capturing the essence of the book's themes. This is one of the few books/movies that I am confident I will go back and rewatch/reread sometime in the future because I just loved it so much.
You nailed this video and helped me tie up some of the loose strings that I had after watching the film. Haven't read the book, but the comparisons do make me wanna check it out. While the cinematography was beautiful, and I loved the usage of "Oklahoma," the performances of the leads really sold this to me. A worthwhile watch!
as someone who didn't read the book i thought it was a deconstruction of the "manic pixie dream girl" trope from the woman's perspective. The movie is what happens after the credits in a romance movie where the guy gets the girl yet she is unfulfilled, she can't break up with him because she cannot exist without him.
Throughout the movie she talks about how she doesn't want to be with Jake anymore and knows it won't last but she never gets to break up with him. She has tons of hobbies and is very smart yet is not given a name and is settling for a guy who is awkward and bland. She is also incredibly out of place in the movie as the world changes yet she stays the same. I saw the scene of the photo changing from her to him and their similar interests as "she exists for him" rather than "they are the same person". The way she gradually became more and more angry about her dislike towards him made it feel like they were forced together for his sake rather than her's. The dance at the end would show the contrast of their perfect relationship with the bleak reality of not being attracted to who you're with.
I know that this isn't the intended meaning of the movie and I understand how Jake's death plays into it, just thought I'd share :)
i really feel like having not read the book would have helped me enjoy the movie more. the book was more shocking and also more defined.:
I kind of agree. I would have loved so much to see a lot of the shocking stuff in the book onscreen. The book had me on the edge of my seat my entire time, the film just had me shrugging and saying "Oh, that's interesting".
I've never read the book but I feel like the twist was made pretty clear in the film. As soon as the ballet part comes to a close, it's fairly obvious that we've been watching the janitor's fantasy. There are a TON more clues than you mentioned throughout the film about the mixed up identities and idealizations. Sadly I wasn't very privy to the Oklahoma references, nor the Beautiful Mind references even though I've actually seen that film ages ago.
Out of several reviews I've watched for this book & movie, this one is my favorite :)
Thank you Ada
hellooo emma! i read the book first and really liked it, watched the movie yesterday but wasn't a fan of the ending tbh :(
hope you feel better soon!
I felt like the whole movie was about how person feels the story or movie, or music, or painting, or what ever you call art. You are in a dream, you are a man and a woman, old and young, dead and in a birth when you let the art affect you.
Yeah, I know movie was not about that, but I had that wave I surfed in.
First off 👏👏 to you for pushing through one more time @spookyastronauts & I liked your POV'S on it. Long story short on my end, just WOOW This was a dense journey from book to film. I got the message & meaning in bits, even with it's complexity in all the turns & direction it went. Thanks again 🤘🏼🤘🏼✌🏾
Thanks for watching as always! Appreciate your ongoing support
I also saw the movie before reading the book. I had a really hard time picking a favourite- the book was far creepier, but I think the movie did a better job of addressing the subject matter (I.e. when Toni Collette's character was talking about Jake's childhood). Loved your review!
Thanks for the review, I was interested in hearing from someone who had not read the book before seeing the film. I read the book before seeing the film and I can't imagine that I would have followed the film or enjoyed it at all without having read the book. Because I read the book I was initially a little disappointed at the liberties the movie took but then began to see how creative and interesting the ways in which the movie took some of the same elements (such as the phone calls, her name, the dinner with the parents) from the book and approached them in a wildly different manner.
Questions I still have after reading the book and watching the movie: what is the point of the new swing set at the beginning? It Jake, the girl, and the janitor are the same person, how does the girl get chased through the school by Jake the janitor? What was going on with the time travel at the parents house in the movie? The pig and the old black and white movie at the end also could use some explanation
Swing set = jake mixing up new and old memories as this entire movie is happening in his head (except the janitor bits). Same things applies to the time travel at the parents house.
Girl chased by the janitor = she’s a fragment/thought in jakes head that represents his desire to live. More like a thought trying to convince him to stay alive. Jake, the janitor is chasing her because he wants to end things.
As a horror fan (I've seen over a thousand of them), a rare good one from the 1977 which involves zombie nazi is Shock Waves, starring Peter Cushing and Brooke Adams. There is a copy available for free on youtube.
Can't wait to watch it! So glad it's finally out. As soon as I saw the trailer a few weeks ago. I knew we were in for something special.
Hope you like it!
Emma! I just finished the film and was left feeling so cold, but your explanation/comparison has totally nailed why certain things fell flat. The book sounds so compelling and I think the film absolutely tries to hard to throw you off its scent, to the point of the ending actually feeling undeserved (to me at least). I can always trust you to have something interesting to say about any film. Thank u!
THANK YOU for this analysis. What a brilliantly detailed story. This video seriously helped me understand the insanity of the “ending” hehe
In the first 15 minutes of the film Jake mentions Ode: Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood by Wordsworth. Wordsworth is one of my favourite poets and I remember studying this poem during my undergrad in English lit, I thought it might be significant so I paused and reread the poem. With the meaning of that poem in my mind the film made a lot of sense to me. I suggest reading the poem if you’re still trying to understand what the film is about. Personally I went in blind and it made sense to me, it’s a 5/5 for me. I love this movie!
My first conclusion (and for the sake of my sanity, ONLY conclusion) was that the janitor was writing the movie in his head while at work. It’s a story but there are tangents because he reflects on his past life, his interests, his anxieties etc. He also see outside influences that affect the story, like the movie that he watched or that lonely girl in the high school hallway who worked at the ice cream shop. I’m gonna go with this conclusion to avoid the risk of being confused lol
Great film...best of 2020 so far to me.❤❤❤❤
So glad you loved it
@@spookyastronauts your videos are too good..take care..get well soon
I feel the movie was more about it’s themes than about the mystery or plot. Without spoiling it I’ll say that I kinda guessed what the mystery was, but I also guessed many other things that it might’ve been and wasn’t, and the ending doesn’t reveal which is the “real” one. I just like it better that way, as a cinematic reflection on age, time, gender, relationships, memories, nostalgia, etc. than a cut and dry mystery with the sole “right” answer.
If you like David Thewlis, you should see the film Naked by Mike Leigh. It’s not a horror or thriller film, but Thewlis’s performance in it is terrific.
I never read the book and watched the movie, Spoilers warning to not read the rest of my comment.
I honestly thought it was a metaphor for Alzheimer's, Jake's dad had it in the film and it seemed like a clue like it was genetic. So I thought it was the janitor trying to remember this person he dated, but kept messing up on the name. His memories being interwoven with different points of his life. And the young women is kind of like the one who got away. The main things that threw me off were the ice cream shop, which I chalked up to be his fear of his high school life. And the whole ending sequence with the dance and weird fight sequence getting stabbed by the janitor. That one was hard to explain, because the janitor is killing his past self for the young women, which I kind of thought made sense because he wants what he had back then.
Either way it is a trippy movie, that really made me pay attention to every detail in each scene to try to figure the movie out.
This is such a good analysis!! Emma put all my feelings into words
Toni Collette is absolutely INCREDIBLE!
It's nice to see you're feeling better Emma. Being sick sucks. Of course you're allowed to take a couple days off if you're not feeling well your health always comes first.
Thanks 😊
The movie was bizarre, but fascinating. It lost me a few times, especially during the car scenes or at the end, but it always managed to pull me back in.
I was waiting for a grand reveal!
Perfect timing. Watched the movie last night and, while I loved the surrealism aspect, the movie ended with a WTF?. I knew that such an original movie must have a book behind it and your review clarified everything. Thank you. I'm off to listen to the book.
Great vid and discussion. I think they're pretty good companion pieces that serve to make each other medium better. If you watch first then you get to direct it with the book, if you start the book you get to see an abstract art piece with insight and awe at the visuals. I don't know yet if one is better than the other, I don't think it matters much. I really do think they compliment each other and if you're down to consume both you definitely should.
Hey Emma, I hope you´re feeling much better now?
I watched the movie yesterday and liked it very much. But I´m also glad that I read the novel before, because the movie is a very different beast IMO.
Yeah slowly getting back to normal. Totally agree with your comment
@@spookyastronauts That´s good to hear! :-) Take good care of your health, see you soon then!
Glad you're better! I was hoping for a reveiw on this one.
Even though I think adaptations should hold up on their own,This movie is actually one of those rare adaptations for me that makes me interested in the source material.
Mind-blowing film. I really enjoy all of your videos. Thanks.
When they kept showing the ice cream up close I was so scared !!!!
i'll answer your question: i read the book months ago and i had NO idea wht the twist was bc unlike the movie, the janitor isn't introdued until the very end/climax which us basically the point where you are supposed to start piecing stuff together. reading it, i legit thought it was about ending a relationship. though, you could tell things were off bc in the book, the woman is never given a name which you come to find out makes sense bc he never acctually approached her at the college bar, so he never knew her name.
Definitely one of the most unique psychological thrillers I’ve seen in awhile. Very odd. Glad the book puts more substance to it.
I'm curious if you're familiar with Charlie Kaufman's work, specifically his other adaptations. He's always played fast and loose with how he adapts a book into a film and I read an article before the book came out where a cast member said they only kept about 25% of the book's dialogue. I personally really enjoyed the film, but I understand that having read the book and having certain expectations of Kaufman as a filmmaker would probably help soften the weirder aspects of the film's artistic choices. I really loved the changes they made to the ending, it felt much more sympathetic to Jake as a character. In the book, he terrified me because we constantly seeing his actions from people outside looking in, whether it's the young woman narrating or the the police who find him. I found it difficult to understand his motivations and why he'd resort to living in this universe in his head. I'd watch youtube analysis, but everyone seemed to have a different take on what it all meant. Seeing Jake as the janitor wrestling with his day dreams turned delusions and accomplishing everything he ever wanted, but never could helped me understand him as a character. In this version, he's disappointed and angry at himself for not accomplishing everything he wanted to do like create art or study quantum physics. He's disrespected by the kids at the school he works for, which is undercut with the line he says while caring for his mother "it feels like no one sees the good things you do." I like they made Jake more sympathetic. I think Kaufman was the perfect person to adapt this book. His specific style captured the unease and dreamlike atmosphere the book portrayed.
I've never read the book and was definitely scratching my head at some points, but also it definitely had an impact on me, at one point I was crying but didn't know why. So I spent a while thinking about it after and came to some conclusions of what it meant to me. Now watching this with the book explained I think I was pretty close. I viewed it as a fading recollection of a trip that may have happened with an idealized version of an ex-girlfriend, replaying the moments over and over to try and see where it went wrong. Which eventually leads to a complete mental breakdown for Jake/The Janitor. I think with the way Charlie Kaufman approaches memory, relationships, and identity, and how (like in Adaptation) he tries to deconstruct the source novels, I wouldn't be surprised if he got something different out of the story and decided to take the film in that direction. I think it leaves the film open to more interpretation, focused more on evoking certain feelings, where the book sounds like it gives you more concrete answers. But examining the film with those answers in mind will reveal an internal logic that might not seem like it's there on first viewing, and you did a great job of showing how some of those moments piece together.
Really loved the film even though I was baffled by a lot of it, will require multiple rewatches to really connect more of the dots. Definitely want to check out the book too even after having it spoiled by this video!
Charlie Kaufmann is a fucking genius, his book dropped a while ago and then this movie is another of his masterpiece, what a great year for him not so much for the world
I definitely think the book should be read first and wasn’t sure how I felt about the ending of the movie at first. But as more time passes, it has really sat with me and made me think more. And made me strangely much more emotional than the book did. I like that they changed it a bit I guess and left more open to all the questions and interpretations. It’s such a thought-provoking story either way, I think I can safely now say I loved both!
Never needed a video more. Thanks Emma!
I haven't read the book but the film by itself made sense to me, actually! thank you for talking about the ending of the book though and how different the whole thing is, it does shed a light on some stuff I wasn't completely sure about, but I do think the film stands pretty solid on its own. I really liked the ending of the film! so dreamy. the whole thing is so dreadful and weird. anyway, I hope you feel better soon Emma! take care x
Fantastic comparison of the book to movie . The movie was very intriguing for the first 80 minutes , great acting and mysterious . Your explaination of the events made sense of the unanswered questions from the movie’s finale . Thanks for the informative video .
Not gonna lie, I had no fucking clue that she ended up being Jake in the end, even with captions calling her young woman. I knew I liked it, but I thought it was a time loop with her stuck in an abusive relationship. But yeah, this makes more sense now 🤣
I had no idea what was going on in the movie then I listened to the audiobook and it only clicked that it was all Jake’s daydreams once I watches this vid🤣
I watched the movie a few years ago and just read the book today. The movie feels like a really familiar fever dream. Thats the best way i can describe the movie is an intense fever dream. Its so strange how nothing makes sense but the characters are acting like its normal or just barely acknowledging stuff. I dont think it matters which one you watch or read first if youre already planning on consuming both because the movie is a different experience than the book. The movie was way more unsettling and offputting than the book was to me. The book is creepy but the dialogue and editing of the movie is so strange when you dont know whats going on. I do agree tho with reading the book first if you arent sure tho because if you hate the movie and dont understand it you probably wont read the book.
This is a great review of the book and film. Thanks! I have not read the book, but you may believe that the book is "clearer" because you didn't really have time to think about how the story changes according to the medium through which it is told. You say you watched the film and then immediately listened to the book, right? You watched a film and then, in a sense, read an "explanation" of it; but a film is different than a novel and cannot tell a story in the same way. Kaufman uses many visual images and subtle -- but quite telling -- audio and visual clues through his films, and this one is no exception (most of Kaufman's films take place in the protagonist's mind or intercut reality with memory or perception). In "I'm Thinking of Ending Things," Lucy looks right at the camera -- breaking the fourth wall -- just before and near the end of a monologue conveying the truth of the film: what we are seeing is "bone" and the "landscape" of Jake's mind (like the paintings he tried to recreate that his father couldn't understand). It is a skeletal outline of what could have been (an intimate relationship with a woman) coloured by what actually was (his loneliness, isolation, inability to pursue his dreams because he had to care for his aging parents) interrupted with what actually is (working as a custodian in the very place he was bullied and abused as a teen). The film intercuts all of these "realities" as Jake moves through his day: he goes about his work, watches some rehearsals, eats his lunch while watching a movie, and then -- once he has completed his job and even cleaned the snow off his car (all signs that he intends to go home) -- he decides to give into his depression and end his life. I would love to read the book, but I just want to convey that the film really does make sense if you look carefully. Some clues are: Jake can hear Lucy's thoughts, Lucy's name changes throughout (Lucy, Lucia, Amy, Ames), she recites poetry and a film review that are later revealed to be from Jake's own readings, her career changes (student, poet, artist, waitress), her clothes change (sweater, no sweater, blue stripes, yellow stripes, red coat, blue coat, etc), as well as her hairstyle (loose, pinned back, hat, no hat, scarf, etc), the dog appears only when mentioned (and usually seen shaking as if trying to dry himself far too long than is normal) and we see that Jake has the dog's ashes in his room. His parents age and change throughout the vist. These are just a few of the visual cues but I urge you to watch it again and consider the story being told in the film rather than the one told in the novel. They cannot be the same story precisely because the medium differs (an important theme in the film as well). If you read all this, thanks for your patience! I love this film so much and am eager to read the book now!
I think like any other Charlie Kaufman script, this movie is designed to gain on multiple viewings. Yes, reading the book first helps a lot, but patient viewers have every single clue they need to understand it.
My favorite thing about the movie was it's heavy reliance on ageing. Charlie always tries to reflect on our own mortality and the effects of time, so it was incredible seeing the ending change from a man about to kill himself to an old man reflecting on his unfulfilling life as he approaches death. It was bleak, beautiful and deeply sad, all at once.
I also like the hints about his father having early stages of a mental illness, because those are usually hereditary and might explain his memories being vague and inconsistent. The last thing I loved was the way film itself is an integral part of the story, with the janitor's memories being constantly mixed with movies he has seen, bluring his reality.
I loved both the book and the movie for what they both are.
Glad you’re such a big fan!
I really do love those weird movies that make you think in a different way but I do believe I have to read the book because the movie was a big no for me.
It was musings of a perspective that I'm just not intrested in, ah well.