One of the most contentious films presented at the [2024 Toronto International Film Festival](https://mashable.com/article/tiff-2024-preview) was *The End*, a two-and-a-half-hour musical that delves into the final moments of humanity on Earth.
In contrast to the grandiose nature of [apocalyptic blockbusters](https://mashable.com/article/apocalypse-films-2000s) such as *The Day After Tomorrow* or the sparkling allure of contemporary [movie musicals](https://mashable.com/article/best-musicals-netflix) like *The Greatest Showman*, director Joshua Oppenheimer adopts a distinctive strategy. He submerges the audience in a surreal underground bunker situated half a mile beneath the Earth’s crust. Within this refuge resides a wealthy industrialist family, unaware of the decaying world above—until a survivor unexpectedly shows up at their door. Her arrival threatens to disrupt their tenuous psychological equilibrium, leading to chaos.
### A divisive cinematic journey
*The End* is not tailored for every viewer. At TIFF, some reviewers lamented its extended runtime, somber blue-gray aesthetics, and deliberately exasperating storyline. Others, though, welcomed these same aspects as vital to the film’s core message. I belong to the latter group, perceiving this poignant and whimsical musical as both deeply affecting and darkly comedic. It’s an audacious, brutal examination of privilege, denial, and humanity’s propensity for self-destruction.
### *The End*: A dystopian *Downton Abbey*
Dissolve the clichéd notion of frigid, metallic bunkers. This family’s underground refuge is an opulent, old-money haven nestled within an expansive salt mine. Boasting spiraling walls and buzzing ventilation systems, their dwelling features crown molding, gilded art, a wood-paneled library, an expansive dining area, and even a meticulously arranged model train set. Despite the apocalypse unfolding above, they have somehow ensured a continuous food supply and uphold an air of spotless order, right down to the paper-flower arrangements in delicate vases.
The family consists of a 25-year-old son (George MacKay), who has never glimpsed the surface world, his nurturing mother (Tilda Swinton), his cheerful father (Michael Shannon), a devoted butler (Tim McInnerny), an enthusiastic chef (Bronagh Gallagher), and a solemn doctor (Lennie James). Even as potentially the last humans on Earth, they seem satisfied, singing songs of appreciation for their fate—apart from when they’re rehearsing dramatic emergency procedures, of course.
### A collision of realities
The family’s outrageous privilege is starkly highlighted when a surface survivor (Moses Ingram) unexpectedly enters their bunker. Her astonishment at their excess, while those above endure hunger and hardship, sets the scene for sharp political commentary. As a young Black woman, she confronts the family’s selective recollections, including the son’s assertion that the oil industry—which amassed their wealth—had no part in the climate crisis that brought humanity to its nadir. With deadpan humor and incisive wit, she unravels their self-serving tales, injecting a much-needed reality check into their cloistered existence.
### A dark yet enchanting musical
The survivor’s presence ignites palpable tension, especially between her and the mother, who is adamant about safeguarding the family’s secrets. At the same time, a blossoming romance between the son and the survivor culminates in a charming duet and a dance segment set within the salt mines. The frigid, unyielding environment serves as a stark foil to their fleeting affection, reminiscent of *West Side Story*. Yet, with no means of escape other than the dying world above, the arc of the narrative is as grim as it is inexorable.
Oppenheimer and co-writer Rasmus Heisterberg expertly navigate the emotional tug-of-war between the mother’s stiff repression and the survivor’s passionate outbursts. Swinton’s portrayal is particularly memorable, her falsetto voice embodying the mother’s barely suppressed fragility. MacKay infuses his role with a Broadway-like zeal, while Ingram delivers soulful melodies imbued with loss and hope. Shannon and McInnerny provide a dose of vaudevillian humor, though even their lighter interactions carry a hint of cruelty, as the father reminds the butler of his inferior role.
### An unyielding cycle of denial
The family’s bunker symbolizes a glass prison, preserving them as relics of a past era but robbing them of purpose. They find themselves ensnared in an unending cycle, on the edge of transformation yet perpetually retreating to the safety of routine. This repetitive nature, while aggravating for viewers, appears intentional. Just as in his Oscar-nominated documentaries *The Look of Silence* and *The Act of Killing*, Oppenheimer employs discomfort to reveal humanity’s darker realities—not only the horrors we inflict but also the falsehoods we perpetuate to uphold an appearance of civility.
Despite their ethical shortcomings