How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

69% Tomatometer 78 Reviews 72% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings

In this feel good apocalyptic comedy, freewheeling Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) scores an invite to one last wild party before the world ends. But making it there won't be easy, after her car is stolen, and the clock is ticking on her plan to tie up loose ends with friends and family. Accompanied by her younger self (Cailee Spaeny), Liza embarks on a hilarious journey across Los Angeles, running into an eclectic cast of characters.

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Critics Consensus

It can feel more like a collection of skits than a cohesive story, but How It Ends is a comedic vision of the apocalypse with fleeting moments of brilliance.

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Critics Reviews

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How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Angie Han FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) The comedy worked for me fitfully; the drama didn't work for me at all. Jul 23, 2021 Full Review How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Claudia Puig FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles) An amiable and appealing little comedy. It's sweet, sometimes a little melancholy, and sometimes hopeful. Jul 23, 2021 Full Review How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Teo Bugbee New York Times The film plays as a series of perfectly enjoyable sketches strung together, an excuse for veteran actors to chew on playful dialogue. Jul 22, 2021 Full Review How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Brittany Patrice Witherspoon Pop Culture Reviews If there was ever a perfect time for Lister-Jones and Wein’s feature How it Ends, it would be now. Rated: 3.5/5 Jul 15, 2024 Full Review How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Marya E. Gates Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack) Both an extremely dry, metaphysical comedy about coming to terms with yourself at the end of the world and an incredibly sharp satire about the vapidness of many Los Angelenos. Feb 13, 2024 Full Review How It Ends (2021) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Ilan Preskovsky Channel24 (South Africa) But necessity is the mother of invention, and Lister-Jones (who is wonderful in the lead role – as is Cailee Spaeny as her younger self) and Wein have made brilliant use of those very restrictions to create something that feels genuinely quite unique. Rated: 4/5 Jul 31, 2023 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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romina r the sunshine and the empty (lockdown) streets make it really beautiful to look at Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/07/24 Full Review Cal E Actually after reading negative reviews I was pleasantly surprised. Good acting , good plot and somewhat educational . Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 12/31/23 Full Review Sandi A This movie was so unbelievable from beginning to end. Total waste of time and the ending had no indication of what was supposedly going on. Ugh, just brutal! Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 09/30/23 Full Review Mark F I love this movie. I have seen it twice, and will no doubt see it many more times in the future. The journey taken by the main character/s is funny, poignant, off the wall and also very touching in parts. The cast is amazing and there is literally never a dull moment. Highly recommend. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/28/23 Full Review Margaret F I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is an odyssey through the neighborhoods of Los Angeles for a woman at the end of life on earth as we know it (a comet is to hit the earth in the morning). Like Ulysses, she meets up with a variety of different characters, each handling the situation in unique and strange ways. Almost perfect, maybe so slow? I appreciated her sidekick as well. No spoilers, please watch. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 05/14/23 Full Review Steven G If you appreciate the true art of writing, you will love this film. Sure, it's not your typical end of the world film, but what it offers is far more heart felt and introspective than any typical "end of the world movie." This is the type of film that forces you to reflect on yourself and what you find important via satirical comedy and an incredibly well written script. Phenomenal acting brings it all together. Side note: this film is not for narcissists lol Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Zoe Lister Jones Director Daryl Wein Director Cailee Spaeny Young Liza Olivia Wilde Ala Fred Armisen Manny Helen Hunt Liza's Mom
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Synopsis In this feel good apocalyptic comedy, freewheeling Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) scores an invite to one last wild party before the world ends. But making it there won't be easy, after her car is stolen, and the clock is ticking on her plan to tie up loose ends with friends and family. Accompanied by her younger self (Cailee Spaeny), Liza embarks on a hilarious journey across Los Angeles, running into an eclectic cast of characters.

Director
Zoe Lister Jones, Daryl Wein

Producer
Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister Jones

Screenwriter
Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister Jones

Distributor
MGM

Production Co
Mister Lister Films

Rating
R (Sexual Reference|Language Throughout|Drug Material)

Genre
Comedy, Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 20, 2021, Limited

Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 20, 2021

Box Office (Gross USA)
$11.9K

Runtime
1h 22m
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