I know that Charlie Kaufman is one of my favourite artists working today because whenever I see a new film of his for the first time, I don’t know how to feel. I don’t know whether I like it or not. When I first saw Synecdoche, New York I hated it. When I first saw Anomalisa I was like ‘meh.’ However, I was always left with a desire to watch the film again, to understand it better and usually after the second or third watch, themes began to emerge. Themes that I recognised and related to. Hence I watch it again and again and start to fall in love.

I don’t know but I think I maybe experiencing the same thing again with I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Lucy joins her new boyfriend Jake on a visit to his parents’ secluded home. On their way back, they stop at Jake’s old high school for a stroll down memory lane. Throughout the day the couple discuss art, relationships, death and, in inexplicable ways, witness and experience said subjects.

If you’re a regular here on Duffhood then you’ll know how I usually break down and review films, typically looking at the characters first and whatever other quality sticks out to me, be it plot, tone or theme, afterwards. I can’t really do that with I’m Thinking of Ending Things because everything, from the characters to the themes, are so intertwined that I can only talk about them as a collective whole. The changes the characters experience and the decisions they make are not totally clear at times, what they’re supposed to represent thematically however does after some thought.

Do I know the meaning of I’m Thinking of Ending Things? No and if there is a meaning I doubt we’ll ever know it as Kaufman has been tight-lipped on the subject and prefers that people make their own minds up, which is exactly what I’ve done. I have an opinion, which I shall share, but I know not everyone will agree and that’s something I’ve taken into account for when deciding to recommend the film or not.

Lucy and Jake are struggling to confront the tragic inevitabilities of life, specifically the horror of ageing and the approach of death. Both have a love of the arts, for Lucy it’s poetry while for Jake it’s cinema and musicals. Jake seems to be the most fond of the arts, mostly because of the positive outcomes it promises. When they arrive at his parent’s house, the couple witness the unstoppable misfortunes that await them. Time distorts, going back and forth, showing Jake’s parents at a number of different ages. Most of the interactions with the parents are either sad or unbearably awkward. If they’re not middle-aged and annoyingly quirky, they’re elderly and tragically forgetful.

My theory is that the film concerns the current generation’s tendency to numb themselves of the meaningless but unavoidable pain we will all endure with art and media. We have become so incompetent in dealing with everyday tragedies that we turn to entertainment for both comfort and guidance.

On the journey back, things get really weird. Without getting spoilers, the film’s artsy surrealism is amped up and goes places that might turn people off. Some of what happens adds weight to my theory and some I may have to dwell upon. I’ll definitely watch the film again at some point which, judging from past experience, may mean that I love I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Would I recommend it? That’s a hard question to answer regarding a film I’m not sure is totally good or not, especially one that’s been as polarizing among audiences. I’ll say this; give it 45 minutes. If at that point you’re confused but intrigued, I suggest you keep going. If you’re confused but bored, stop the film right there.

This may change in the years to come but for now I give I’m Thinking of Ending Things a strong 8 out of 10.