How It Ends Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

How It Ends Blu-ray Movie Review

A fun and quirky comedy gem.

How It Ends is an entertaining comedy-drama about the end of the world. Starring Zoe Lister-Jones and Cailee Spaeny, the independent Sundance Film Festival hit is worth seeing. The film has an abundance of celebrity cameos including: Fred Armisen, Whitney Cummings, Logan Marshall-Green, Olivia Wilde, Bradley Whitford, Helen Hunt, Colin Hanks, and Pauly Shore (as himself). A quirky apocalyptic sketch-comedy.

Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) is invited to a wild party on the final night on the planet (before the world goes up in smoke forever). Determined to have a good time during her last day on Earth, Liza eats a massive stack of pancakes to help kick-start her day before embarking on a quest for weed and laid-back fun with her best-bud, Young Liza (Cailee Spaeny), who may (or-may-not) be a figment imagined of her younger self. As Liza's last day on the planet heats up, her car is stolen, and strange occurrences occur. Liza must say goodbye to her family and friends (for better or worse). Can Liza survive an apocalypse?

Zoe Lister-Jones is charming in the leading role. There is a sense of confidence and natural charisma to her. Zoe Lister-Jones delivers her comedic one-liners exceptionally well: she is a suave and badass leading lady. Cailee Spaeny also impresses as young Liza. The pair have good comedic timing together.

The cameo appearances from celebrities are hit-and-miss. Some of the cameos are better than others. With regards to the storytelling, the appearances of Kenny (Bradley Whitford), Alay (Olivia Wilde), and Lucinda (Helen Hunt) are the most important.

Ready for the apocalypse?

Kenny is the father of Liza and the quirky father-daughter relationship is fun to see. Alay is one of Liza's best friends and Wilde's cameo is the best the film has to offer – providing laugh-out-loud quirkiness that delights. Helen Hunt impresses as Lucinda, Liza's mother. The scene with Hunt is important to the story and delivers some added depth to the production.

The cinematography by Tyler Beus (White Rabbit, 09.05.57) and Daryl Wein (Blueprint, Consumed) makes a big impression: How It Ends is a beautiful looking independent film. The vibrant colors on display make the filmmaking more “fun” and ultimately more relevant. A solid effort from both cinematographers.

The editing by Libby Cuenin (The Craft: Legacy, Band Aid) and co-director Daryl Wein works for the most part. The pace is excellent. However, the editors could have (perhaps) cut back on some of the celebrity cameos – there are so many of them. Nonetheless, the pacing is fine.

The original music score composed by Ryan Miller (Safety Not Guaranteed, In a World...) adds some charm to the filmmaking. Miller is a superb composer and the score for How It Ends is charming to listen to. The music fits the characters well. Despite being an apocalyptic film, the comedy-drama component wins out and the score is never dark or overbearing.

Produced, written, and directed by Zoe Lister-Jones (Band Aid, The Craft: Legacy) and Daryl Wein (Breaking Upwards, Lola Versus), How It Ends is a charming comedy-drama with an apocalyptic backdrop. The film has a fun, spunky, and creative heart that is difficult to resist. The story is quite charming. While the comedy is hit-or-miss at times, the cool concept and execution works. The pacing is excellent as well. Independent cinema enthusiasts won't want to overlook this under-the-radar gem.

How It Ends Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from MGM (American International Pictures), How It Ends is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation looks crisp and clean throughout. The encode is quite excellent and doesn't disappoint. There were no significant issues with regards to compression, banding, and other video-related detriments. Colors had a nice "pop" to them and the film has a nice digital sheen that works well for the material.

How It Ends Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. The lossless audio sounds exceptional on the release. Dialogue is crisp, clear, and easy to understand. The music score by Ryan Miller was well reproduced. The occasional sound effects were well-integrated. The surrounds were mostly used to enhance the score but that made all the difference: the audio was immersive and engaging (far more so than some independent films).

Optional English subtitles are provided.

How It Ends Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

How It Ends Theatrical Trailer (HD, 1:50)

How It Ends Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

How It Ends is an entertaining oddity made for goofballs. The filmmaking has plenty of quirks – after all, it's a film about the world ending. Zoe Lister-Jones is exceptional in the lead role. Her performance provides the film plenty of charm. The script is fun and the direction is creative. While How It Ends might not be for everyone, its a delightfully offbeat gem about finding oneself – even with a apocalypse around the corner. Fans of Olivia Wilde's Booksmart will enjoy this one. The Blu-ray release features a solid presentation. Highly recommended.