Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, and George MacKay star in “The End,” a new post-apocalyptic musical about the last human family on Earth. I mean, we’re sold already, but further tantalizing is the fact that “The End” is the narrative debut and long-overdue latest film from filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer. If Oppenheimer’s name rings a bell, it should. He’s the director behind the heralded Oscar-nominated documentaries “The Act of Killing” (2012) and “The Look of Silence” (2014), the former film listed in our feature about the Best Documentaries Of The 2010s.
“The End” is Oppenheimer’s first film since 2014, has been in the works for ages, and has been in our 100 Most Anticipated Films Of The Year list for at least two years running. Moreover, “The End” was just announced as one of the world premieres at the upcoming 2024 Telluride Film Festival. It will also be screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September.
The musical, which is said to be golden-age-esque in scope, also features Moses Ingram (“Obi-Wan Kenobi”), Bronagh Gallagher, Tim McInnerny, and Lennie James.
READ MORE: Telluride 2024 Film Festival Preview: 11 Movies To See
“It’s a very beautifully strange, complex, nuanced musical,” MacKay told Variety earlier this year. “Josh’s previous films challenge and explore the themes of denial and responsibility in a way that I think is profound. But also, there’s so much as a craft that I wanted to learn and an opportunity to dance and to sing — an approach to acting in a way that I haven’t for a while.”
Marius De Vries (“Annette”) is executive music producer on the film, which features original music by Josh Schmidt, the composer of the theater musical “Adding Machine.”
Here’s a long-form synopsis that was released months ago:
A post-apocalyptic story about a rich family living in a salt mine converted into a luxurious home. The earth around them has apparently been destroyed, but their son has never seen the outside world. As a young girl appears at the entrance of the bunker, the balance of the family is threatened. A wealthy family survives in a palatial bunker two decades after the world has ended. There is a mother, father, and their twenty-year-old son – he was born in the bunker and has never seen the outside world. There is a maid with whom the son has his only honest relationship. There is also a doctor, a butler – and finally, a young woman who, having barely survived, manages to find her way in. Before the young woman arrives, the family celebrates their survival as confirmation of their success and righteousness, but unspoken blame over leaving loved ones behind has come between the parents, hollowing out whatever intimacy they once shared. They struggle to repress the guilt they feel for this – as well as a more diffuse regret for contributing to the world’s end.
“The End” has no release date, but Neon has acquired rights in North America, and there’s a good bet they’ll release it this fall after the festival circuit. Stay tuned for more details and our Telluride review. Below, check out some new first-look images and the brand-new teaser poster.
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