The Endless reminds me of Nope in that it is clearly a low-budget science-fiction horror film that drags out its suspense for most of the movie while occasionally giving us hints about what is really going on. In both movies, there is some sort of mysterious monster in the sky, and the movies have similar endings. Whereas Nope is a science-fiction remake of Jaws that was too slow for me, The Endless kept me in suspense the whole time.
Brothers Justin and Aaron Smith had previously escaped from a UFO cult, but they are having trouble making ends meet and coping with life in the real world. Aaron misses the cult because it gave him a sense of family, and he thinks that life really was better inside the cult. They receive a mysterious videotape from the cult, which prompts them to go back and investigate what is going on, even if it is just for a day or two. This is the point where the audience is thinking that going back to the cult is a very bad idea. However, the members come across as friendly and benign, and they are happy to welcome their former friends back.
About 40% of the way through the movie, it gives us a hint that something bizarre is happening, and things only get weirder from there.
The low budget detracts somewhat from the experience, because movies like this have to stretch one or two good ideas over an entire film. Nevertheless, it definitely kept me in suspense, making it worth watching. However, now that I've seen it and know what is going on, I don't have much reason to watch it a second time. Just like Nope.
Rating: B+
The Endless has a 91% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The movie is available on multiple streaming services. It doesn't have an MPAA rating, but I would classify it as PG-13 for occasional profanity and violence.
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