Year: 2018
Runtime: 113 min
Language: English
Director: David M. Rosenthal
Echo Score: 19Budget: $20M
Facing imminent global destruction, a woman named Liza sets out on a journey to reconnect with the people most important to her. Accompanied by a younger version of herself, she travels through a chaotic Los Angeles, encountering a diverse group of individuals as she races to reach one last, momentous celebration before the end.
Get a spoiler-free look at How It Ends (2018) with a clear plot overview that covers the setting, main characters, and story premise—without revealing key twists or the ending. Perfect for deciding if this film is your next watch.
In a world teetering on the brink of an unimaginable catastrophe, Liza awakens to a sky bruised with ash and a city that feels both familiar and strangely foreign. The looming threat of global destruction has turned everyday streets into a tapestry of broken routines and fragile hopes, casting a surreal glow over Los Angeles that feels at once cinematic and intimate. As the clock ticks toward an uncertain end, the city’s pulse quickens, echoing the restless urgency that drives every survivor to cling to something—anything—that feels real.
Guided by a younger version of herself, young Liza, the protagonist embarks on a deeply personal odyssey. Their unlikely partnership is a mirror of past ambitions and present fears, allowing the film to explore how the same person can be both the source of comfort and the reminder of what has been lost. Together they navigate a landscape where ordinary landmarks become symbols of memory, and each encounter hints at the lingering threads of community that refuse to dissolve even as chaos surrounds them.
The tone balances stark, almost visceral tension with moments of quiet wonder, inviting viewers to breathe in the stark beauty of a city caught in its own twilight. While the looming disaster remains an ever‑present backdrop, the story folds around the simple, human desire to reconnect—to reach a final gathering that promises closure, celebration, or perhaps a chance to say goodbye on one’s own terms. The narrative’s rhythm is shaped as much by the hushed whispers of the wind through deserted avenues as by the beating hearts of those who still cling to hope.
Through Liza’s journey, the film paints a portrait of resilience, memory, and the fragile ties that bind us, leaving audiences perched on the edge of anticipation, eager to discover which relationships will endure the ultimate test of time.
Last Updated: August 10, 2025 at 02:29
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
High-stakes survival odysseys across a collapsing landscape.Find movies like How It Ends that feature high-tension journeys through a disintegrating society. If you liked the desperate road trip, constant danger, and grim urgency of How It Ends, explore these similar survival stories set against a backdrop of societal collapse.
These narratives unfold as a linear sequence of escalating crises. A central goal, often a person or place, provides the only direction in a world without rules. The journey is defined by confrontations with the worst of humanity and the harsh realities of a new, brutal world, testing the characters' resolve at every turn.
Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on a high-intensity, goal-oriented journey set during an apocalypse. They share a tense, bleak tone, fast pacing, and the heavy emotional weight of witnessing civilization's end while fighting for one last connection.
Grim tales of societal collapse with uncertain futures.Discover bleak apocalyptic thrillers similar to How It Ends. If you were drawn to the grim tone, societal decay, and ambiguous ending of How It Ends, this list features movies that explore collapse with heavy emotional weight and uncertain conclusions.
The narrative pattern involves a sudden, often unexplained disaster that triggers a rapid unraveling of social order. The plot follows characters reacting to immediate threats in a newly dangerous world. The journey is less about solving the mystery of the catastrophe and more about enduring its consequences, culminating in an ending that offers little closure or clear hope.
These movies are united by a specific vibe: a high-intensity, tense viewing experience centered on a bleak depiction of the end of the world. They share a straightforward narrative drive, heavy emotional stakes, and critically, an ambiguous or bleak ending that reinforces the themes of existential peril and uncertainty.
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Read a complete plot summary of How It Ends, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.
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