It Ends: Gen Z's Existential Road Trip Nightmare Finally Hits Theaters

Few films capture the disorienting feeling of being stuck quite like Alexander Ullom’s “It Ends.” This existential road-trip nightmare, which blends the straitjackets of horror with the intimacy of a hangout movie, finally arrives in theaters after a journey as winding as the one its characters endure.

“It Ends” follows four recent college graduates—James (Phinehas Yoon), Tyler (Mitchell Cole), Fisher (Noah Toth), and Day (Akira Jackson)—on a late-night drive that morphs into a terrifying loop. They find themselves on a never-ending road, where any attempt to pause for respite is met with only ninety seconds before hordes of screaming people attack. As days blur into an indistinguishable monotony, each young graduate must confront what this purgatorial existence means for the futures they once envisioned. The film taps into a palpable sense of dread, reflecting the anxieties of a generation inheriting a world that feels increasingly off-kilter. As Ullom himself puts it, “One of the core emotions of the liminal space is something’s off, something’s wrong. We have rejected nature. The thing that’s behind the veil is actually just the fucking corporate boardroom.” This resonates deeply with the film’s exploration of Gen Z inheriting a world that feels like a burning house, grappling with the question, “What the fuck is this all heading to?”

A Journey Through Festival Circuits

The path to “It Ends” finding a permanent cinematic home was anything but straightforward. After premiering at SXSW in 2025, the film embarked on a festival circuit tour, including a stop at the Chicago Critics Film Festival. It also had a stint on the Letterboxd Video Store, offering a unique avenue for early viewership. Director Alexander Ullom described the creative persistence involved as "insanity," even involving influencers at a "Jurassic World: Rebirth" event to build buzz. This multi-pronged approach highlights the innovative ways independent films are finding audiences in today's media landscape, especially those that resonate with contemporary cultural moments and anxieties.

The Liminal Space of Gen Z

“It Ends” arrives at a time when breakout works by Gen Z filmmakers are dominating the conversation. Like Kane Parsons’s “Backrooms,” Ullom’s film shares a fascination with liminal spaces—those transitional zones that evoke unease and disorientation. However, “It Ends” distinguishes itself by grounding this concept in the specific anxieties of Zoomers, making it of a piece with films like Curry Barker’s “Obsession.” The film’s Twilight Zone-esque premise offers a tangible representation of the existential dread faced by recent graduates navigating an uncertain future. It speaks directly to the audience who feel they are inheriting a world that is fundamentally flawed, prompting deep introspection about purpose and direction.

What's Next

Having completed its festival run and found its theatrical release, “It Ends” is now available for audiences to experience its unique brand of existential horror. Further details on its availability on streaming platforms or home video have not yet been announced.