I never like to describe a filmmaker as bizarre. Often in the modern world of big-budget blockbusters (admittedly movies I enjoy as much as anyone), that word can be misconstrued as somebody simply doing something original – something a bit out of the box. It’s a word often used to label the likes of David Lynch, director of the likes of Blue Velvet and the creator of Twin Peaks. Similarly, it’s a term you would be forgiven for associating with Charlie Kaufman, director of Being John Malkovich and the mind behind the focus of this review – a Netflix original: I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

Something I’ve never found particularly challenging when writing a review is deciding whether or not I liked a film, but I do find myself pondering over my keyboard, struggling how to summarise my thoughts on this film – they were that conflicted. Plot-wise, everything seems incredibly straightforward. Based on Ian Reid’s 2016 novel, a young woman (Jessie Buckley) and her relatively new boyfriend Jake (Jessie Plemons) take a trip so she can meet Jake’s parents (Get Out anyone? Maybe even a dark and surreal version of Meet the Parents). However, once they arrive events start to take a turn for the worst.

The first thing to say is that in terms of performances this is a high-quality film. Jessie Buckley looks and acts as confused as any audience should when she reaches the parent’s farmhouse. David Thewlis and Toni Collette meanwhile provide start turns as Jake’s twisted mother and father. Nobody has ever made a family dinner seem more awkward. Jessie Plemons’s nails his own role, posing as an awkward, isolated man unsure how to act around his mother and father.

In spite of my description of the plot, I’m Thinking of Ending Things isn’t a horror film. Yet, in so many ways, it’s more unnerving. The time spent at the farmhouse is a masterclass in creating tension as is the moment when the two central characters stop at a ‘Tulsy Town’ in the middle of nowhere, in the midst of a snowstorm, for some ice-cream. At times it might seem cliched, but it’s rare to find a film that makes you feel this on edge.

Anybody’s opinion on a given film is subjective but this movie takes that to the extreme. I really am uncertain on what I think, but the fact it has stayed with me counts for something.

Maybe this is quite a millennial thing, but for me the very best films at least give you some inkling of where they are going. This film for me falters slightly by occasionally feeling like its showing off; by somehow tricking you into thinking that if you’re not following it, it’s you that’s doing something wrong. One-minute Buckley’s character is studying astrophysics, the next she’s an aspiring veterinarian before showing off her knowledge of film theory. The long car drives where conversations continually take a turn onto something more complex become a little tedious.  By the time you’ve stopped to ask yourself what’s happening, Kaufman throws something else into the mix.

It’s likely a film that will require a second-watch, or at the very least a hell of a lot of Google searches. If you’re in the mood for something different, Kaufman’s latest is well worth a watch, just don’t come to me looking for any definitive answers. Then again, that seems to be the point.

Verdict – 3/5 – One thing’s for certain, Kaufman’s movie will stay with you and, cinematically, it’s a wonderful film. It’s cast shines as well, even if you struggle to get to grips with what they’re talking about on occasion.