Writer, director, and editor Alex Ullom makes an impressive feature debut with It Ends, a genre-bending thriller that blends horror, dark comedy, and coming-of-age drama into a singular experience.
Starring Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, and Mitchell Cole, the film follows a surreal journey in which four recent graduates find themselves trapped on an endless two-lane highway, confronting both supernatural forces and the uncertainty of adulthood.
It Ends made its world premiere in competition at the 2025 SXSW Film & TV Festival before screenings at the Overlook Film Festival, the Chicago Critics Film Festival, Fantasia International Film Festival, and Sydney Film Festival.
Following its successful festival circuit, the film was acquired by Neon for theatrical distribution and is now set to open in select U.S. theaters on August 21, 2026.
According to the official synopsis: “A group of recent grads heads out on a late-night drive for grub, hoping to enjoy one final hangout before their paths diverge. Instead, they accidentally turn onto a never-ending, two-lane hellscape surrounded by untold horrors and cosmic forces beyond their understanding.”
Speaking about his filmmaking process during an interview published by Adobe ahead of the film’s SXSW premiere, Ullom reflected on the importance of refining the story throughout production, saying: “Being able to go back after watching a full version of the film and being able to say, ‘Yeah, damn, wish there was a scene that actually motivated that decision,’ and actually get it is quintessential. It’s the only reason ‘It Ends’ grew to be the film it is now.”
Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter, in his review, described the film as “More conceptual horror than gory nail-biter,” but commended Ullom’s execution of the film’s unusual premise, writing that the director “deserves credit for delivering such a dubious high concept with plenty of directorial craft.”
Watch the official trailer for It Ends above.
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