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The 2024 adaptation of Colleen Hoover's It Ends With Us has been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Although the Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni fallout has overshadowed the narrative of the movie, it cannot be denied that It Ends With Us brings forth powerful messages about domestic violence and emotional abuse. Even viewers who haven't read the book will be able to relate to the adaptation.
Lively plays Lily Bloom, a florist who thinks she has found the one when she falls for Baldoni's Ryle Kincaid, a neurosurgeon. But he has a tendency to get violent which comes to the forefront when Lily reconnects with a familiar face from her past, Atlas Corrigan, portrayed by Brandon Sklenar. The stunning visuals and powerful performances by the cast have earned a lot of praise.
Cinephiles who found It Ends With Us moving should check out the compelling titles on this list that also explore complicated relationship dynamics.
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Disclaimer: This list contains information from various sources.
Blue Valentine, Fair Play and six other movies like It Ends With Us that broach important topics worth discussing
1) Sleeping with the Enemy (1991)
Lily starts to become wary of Ryle in It Ends With Us because he tends to lose control. The threat is even bigger for the protagonist of Sleeping with the Enemy by Joseph Ruben. In the lead is Julia Roberts who plays Laura Burney. She is married to a successful Boston investment counselor named Martin, portrayed by Patrick Bergin.
From the outside, it seems like they have the perfect life but Martin is controlling and abusive. Laura is compelled to fake her own death and move to another town in order to start afresh. But her new-found happiness doesn't last long as Martin sees through her ploy and sets out to find her.
Based on Nancy Price's novel, Sleeping with the Enemy starts slow mainly because the narrative wants the audience to take the time to truly understand Laura's motivation to take such drastic measures. The momentum picks up halfway through and is aided by several unexpected twists and turns.
Where to watch: Sleeping with the Enemy can be viewed on Disney+, Prime Video and Tubi.
2) Candy (2006)
Like It Ends With Us, Candy is also an adaptation. Based on Candy: A Novel of Love and Addiction by Luke Davies, it stars Heath Ledger and Abbie Cornish in the lead. Cornish plays an art student named Candy who falls head over heels for poet and heroin addict, Dan (Ledger). With time, Candy also starts taking drugs.
Because of the addiction, the couple isn't motivated to make something of themselves. They simply want to make quick money which they can use to buy more drugs. This attitude leads to a downward spiral with grave consequences.
Like Lily in It Ends With Us, Candy is unable to come to terms with the fact that she is in a toxic relationship that threatens her safety and happiness. Addiction stories aren't easy to tell but this movie by Neil Armfield is able to showcase a realistic narrative without making it feel overly preachy.
Where to watch: Candy can be streamed on Prime Video.
3) Blue Valentine (2010)
The narrative of It Ends With Us portrays how complex love can be, and that it has to be a two-way street for it to work. Blue Valentine by Derek Cianfrance also explores similar themes.
Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling play a young couple, Cindy and Dean. Blue Valentine is structured in such a way that it shifts between two points in their relationship timeline, the starting years of their relationship and their marriage years later.
Like Lily and Ryle's relationship in It Ends With Us, Cindy and Dean have problems that seem unfixable. The heart-breaking movie reminds viewers that falling out of love is as just natural as falling in love. Williams and Gosling deliver compelling performances. From their initial attraction to the subsequent fallout, each aspect of their relationship seems believable.
Where to watch: Blue Valentine is available on Netflix, Apple TV+ and Prime Video.
4) The Invisible Man (2020)
In It Ends With Us, Ryle's controlling actions start to take a toll on Lily's mental health. The same happens to the central character in The Invisible Man, which is a reboot of the 1933 movie. Directed by Leigh Whannell, it stars Elisabeth Moss as Cecilia Kass who is trying to escape her wealthy and controlling boyfriend, Adrian Griffin, portrayed by Oliver Jackson-Cohen.
Two weeks after her escape, Adrian commits suicide and leaves her $5 million. But, soon after, she begins to feel a sinister presence in the house. Cecilia believes that Adrian has figured out a way to become invisible and faked his own death to torture her for leaving.
Compared to It Ends With Us, The Invisible Man's narrative is certainly more intriguing with plenty of twists and turns but it still explores mature subjects like toxic relationships and abuse. Also, Cecilia, like Lily in It Ends With Us, is a compelling character who the audience will want to root for.
Where to watch: The Invisible Man is available for streaming on Apple TV+ and Prime Video.
5) Malcolm & Marie (2021)
It Ends With Us is able to capture the attention of the audience because it takes a detour from the customary feel-good Hollywood love stories that cinephiles are used to. Similarly, Malcolm & Marie by Sam Levinson offers a raw and gritty exploration of love and relationships.
John David Washington plays writer-director Malcolm Elliott who gets into a big fight with his girlfriend, Marie Jones (Zendaya) after they return home from his film premiere. Malcolm & Marie is a character-driven movie that thrives on its intelligent screenplay.
This movie, like It Ends With Us, isn't afraid to show the other side of romance wherein everything is not picture-perfect. Zendaya and Washington deserve credit for being able to express the raw emotions of their characters who know exactly how to push each other's buttons.
Where to watch: Malcolm & Marie can be viewed on Netflix.
6) Loving Adults (2022)
It is easy to see in It Ends With Us that not all relationships are meant to last forever, some come with an expiration date. In Loving Adults, the central characters had a good run as a married couple for many years but when it all comes crashing down, they become motivated to ruin each other's lives.
Dar Salim and Sonja Richter play Christian and Leonora, a married couple who seem to have it all sorted. But when Christian receives a text at 4 in the morning, Leonora asks to see his phone. When he starts acting suspiciously, she gets the feeling that something is wrong. Leonora eventually finds out that he is having an affair which leads to a blowout that threatens to consume them both.
The solid screenplay is complemented by powerful performances by the lead cast who are able to perfectly capture the inner turmoils of their characters. Like It Ends With Us, the movie does focus on complicated relationship dynamics but also introduces an element of mystery that keeps the viewer guessing.
Where to watch: Loving Adults by Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg is available for streaming on Netflix.
7) Luckiest Girl Alive (2022)
Like It Ends With Us, the narrative of Luckiest Girl Alive also broaches serious topics like manipulation, abuse and trauma. Directed by Mike Barke, it is based on Jessica Knoll's novel.
Mila Kunis plays Tifani Fanelli also known as Ani. The 35-year-old Ani has the perfect life which includes a wonderful fiancé and an envy-inducing career. But when she is approached to appear on a true-crime documentary about the school shooting that she witnessed years ago, painful memories from the past come back to haunt her.
The way this compelling movie is able to address trauma and showcase how it shapes and impacts victims, like in It Ends With Us, is commendable. Kunis also does a great job of bringing the complex character to life with all her flaws and vulnerabilities.
Where to watch: Luckiest Girl Alive can be streamed on Netflix.
8) Fair Play (2023)
In It Ends With Us, the tension between Lily and Ryle starts to escalate when Atlas returns to her life. For the couple in Fair Play, it is a job promotion that leads to strained connections.
Chloe Domont's feature directorial debut, Fair Play stars Phoebe Dynevor and Alden Ehrenreich in the lead. They play Emily Meyers and Luke Edmunds respectively. Both of them work at a cutthroat Manhattan hedge fund. They are engaged but haven't announced it at the office. When Emily receives a promotion, things start to get complicated at the office and back at home.
Like Blake Lively in It Ends With Us, Dynevor's expressive portrayal helps the audience become invested in the relationship drama. The cleverly written screenplay explores many common issues that couples tend to face such as jealousy, betrayal and insecurity.
Where to watch: Fair Play is available for streaming on Netflix.
Like It Ends With Us, these engrossing movies are worth watching because they explore strained relationships in a real and relatable manner.
