The End We Start From is a survival thriller that follows Jodie Comer trying to keep her newborn safe when London begins to flood. She goes on a long journey to get her baby back to what is left of home to her husband, played by Joel Fry. The End We Start From treats this as more of a character study than a typical survival movie, which I liked a lot.
The movie is centered around Comer and her newborn Zeb. She gives birth to him right as the flooding begins and they immediately must evacuate. With how much screen time they have, Comer is truly incredible. She wears all her emotions on her sleeve, and it became tougher to watch as she became more tired and depressed. But even when the times are bleaker than ever, she perseveres with immense strength to do the things she must survive.
I thought having the flood take place more in the background of the movie was an interesting choice. In the beginning, we do see their house flood and the streets flood, but that is it for the most part. A lot of action happens off-screen, and we are left to imply what might have happened.
I will say, as much as I did, like how focused it was on Comer’s will to survive, not showing much of the action made the stakes feel a lot lower. There are a ton of scenes where characters are just walking on dry land talking to each other. At times the movie struggles to remind you just how severe the flooding is. Food is short, homes are destroyed, and many people are displaced in shelters. Yet the movie exerts so much effort into showing how Comer is trying to balance protecting her child with the reality that her husband and home might be dead and gone.
But I did like the relationships Comer made to survive. Her relationship with another mother she met at her first shelter. It is so incredibly easy to become selfish in the name of self-preservation during a disaster. But seeing kindness in these two women as they try to navigate the times made the direst of situations hopeful. That’s what is at the core of this movie, the resilience during troubling times and the bonds made.
FINAL THOUGHTS
The End We Start From is a fascinating view of personal struggles during tragic times. Jodie Comer does an excellent job of experiencing all the expected emotions. She feels tired and broken yet never stops persevering. The story’s framing is interesting although I would’ve liked to see more of the action to remind me of the stakes. But this is still a very good movie that I recommend you watch.
