The script of Charlie Kaufman’s 2020 psychological horror film “I’m Thinking of Ending Things” has been released online. The film is based on Iain Reid’s 2016 novel of the same name. It stars Jessie Buckley, Jesse Plemons, Toni Collette, and David Thewlis.
The movie’s plot follows a young woman looking to end her seven-week relationship with her boyfriend, Jake, on a trip to visit his parents at their farm. During the drive, Jake recites a poem that he reminds when he was younger and pressures the woman to recite one. The storytelling introduces shocking twists and a different ending than Reid’s novel. The film left a lot for the audience to unpack.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things, released in some selective theatres on 28 August 2020 and streamed on Netflix on 4 September 2020. The film received much positive response from the audience and critics for the actors’ incredible performance and the cinematography.
The film got appreciation with an approval rating of 81% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 241 critics with an average rating of 7.6. Critics of Polygon, Karen Han, wrote that besides the lack of clear answers, the plot could be frustrating, but the strange way to tell a story and the exchange of emotions between characters feel real.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ script is now available online to read and download at Variety. Recently, the amazing screenplay of the movie is appreciated by the Boston Society of Film Critics. It is 138 pages of a screenplay layered by Kaufman’s work. The fans, audience, critics, and creative students can read the movie’s script and learn how the director explains all the scenes in the film, including the climactic ballet sequence.
The team announced Kaufman’s name for direction in January 2018. At the same time, Plemons and Brie Larson joined the cast in December. Later Buckley replaced Larson and played the young woman’s role (referred to by several names in the film like Lucy, Louisa, Lucia, and Ames). The film’s shooting started on 13 March 2019 in Fishkill, New York, and was completed on 29 April 2019.
The screenplay is a must-read for anyone who is a Kaufman fan and is curious to closely understand his process. Charlie Kaufman is a novelist, screenwriter, director, and producer. Some of his works include Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Being John Malkovich. He is one of the most celebrated screenplay writers of his era and won the Academy Awards for his script for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Kaufman also received three BAFTA Awards, one for Best Adapted Screenplay and two for Best Original Screenplays.
The writer used small details from the very initial phase of this scriptwriting, including the color grading and mood. For example, the beautifully portrays the mental state of Janitor by adding different montages and combining them at the end. And when he describes the cheerful nature of a young woman that brightens up her clothing, but when she meets her boyfriend, Jake, with her mood, her dress’s color also seems a little colorless. The readers of the script can get those minute details and thought processes of the brilliant Oscar winner.
I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a psychological thriller and has some brilliant moments of chills. The actors of the film also did a remarkable job and soulfully brought the written material to life. With the continuous diving into the meaning of life, surrealism, and mortality, Kaufman has delivered another innovative piece of work with his screenplay.
Read the whole script exclusively on Variety under the title “Read Charlie Kaufman’s ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’ Script (EXCLUSIVE).”
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