How It Ends

Play trailer

1:50

How It Ends

R

Released Jul 20, 2021

1h 22m

Comedy

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

69%

Tomatometer

78 Reviews

72%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

In this feel good apocalyptic comedy, freewheeling Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) scores an invite to one last wild party before the world ends. But making it there won't be easy, after her car is stolen, and the clock is ticking on her plan to tie up loose ends with friends and family. Accompanied by her younger self (Cailee Spaeny), Liza embarks on a hilarious journey across Los Angeles, running into an eclectic cast of characters.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

It can feel more like a collection of skits than a cohesive story, but How It Ends is a comedic vision of the apocalypse with fleeting moments of brilliance.

Read Critics Reviews

Angie Han

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

The comedy worked for me fitfully; the drama didn't work for me at all.

Jul 23, 2021

Full Review

Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

An amiable and appealing little comedy. It's sweet, sometimes a little melancholy, and sometimes hopeful.

Jul 23, 2021

Full Review

Teo Bugbee

New York Times

The film plays as a series of perfectly enjoyable sketches strung together, an excuse for veteran actors to chew on playful dialogue.

Jul 22, 2021

Full Review

Brittany Patrice Witherspoon

Pop Culture Reviews

If there was ever a perfect time for Lister-Jones and Wein’s feature How it Ends, it would be now.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 15, 2024

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Both an extremely dry, metaphysical comedy about coming to terms with yourself at the end of the world and an incredibly sharp satire about the vapidness of many Los Angelenos.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Ilan Preskovsky

Channel24 (South Africa)

But necessity is the mother of invention, and Lister-Jones (who is wonderful in the lead role – as is Cailee Spaeny as her younger self) and Wein have made brilliant use of those very restrictions to create something that feels genuinely quite unique.

Rated: 4/5

Jul 31, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

romina r

the sunshine and the empty (lockdown) streets make it really beautiful to look at

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/07/24

Full Review

Cal E

Actually after reading negative reviews I was pleasantly surprised. Good acting , good plot and somewhat educational .

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

12/31/23

Full Review

Sandi A

This movie was so unbelievable from beginning to end. Total waste of time and the ending had no indication of what was supposedly going on. Ugh, just brutal!

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

09/30/23

Full Review

Mark F

I love this movie. I have seen it twice, and will no doubt see it many more times in the future. The journey taken by the main character/s is funny, poignant, off the wall and also very touching in parts. The cast is amazing and there is literally never a dull moment. Highly recommend.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/28/23

Full Review

Margaret F

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It is an odyssey through the neighborhoods of Los Angeles for a woman at the end of life on earth as we know it (a comet is to hit the earth in the morning). Like Ulysses, she meets up with a variety of different characters, each handling the situation in unique and strange ways. Almost perfect, maybe so slow? I appreciated her sidekick as well. No spoilers, please watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/14/23

Full Review

Steven G

If you appreciate the true art of writing, you will love this film. Sure, it's not your typical end of the world film, but what it offers is far more heart felt and introspective than any typical "end of the world movie." This is the type of film that forces you to reflect on yourself and what you find important via satirical comedy and an incredibly well written script. Phenomenal acting brings it all together. Side note: this film is not for narcissists lol

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/01/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Zoe Lister Jones

Director

Daryl Wein

Director

Cailee Spaeny

Young Liza

Olivia Wilde

Ala

Fred Armisen

Manny

Helen Hunt

Liza's Mom

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Not Okay

72%

59%

Not Okay

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Not Okay

The Persian Version

84%

93%

The Persian Version

Watchlist

TRAILER

for The Persian Version

Family Squares

75%

85%

Family Squares

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Family Squares

Kajillionaire

90%

47%

Kajillionaire

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Kajillionaire

Off the Rails

33%

71%

Off the Rails

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Off the Rails

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The 10 Buzziest Titles at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival

How It Ends: Trailer 1

1:50

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

In this feel good apocalyptic comedy, freewheeling Liza (Zoe Lister-Jones) scores an invite to one last wild party before the world ends. But making it there won't be easy, after her car is stolen, and the clock is ticking on her plan to tie up loose ends with friends and family. Accompanied by her younger self (Cailee Spaeny), Liza embarks on a hilarious journey across Los Angeles, running into an eclectic cast of characters.

Director: Zoe Lister Jones, Daryl Wein
Producer: Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister Jones
Screenwriter: Daryl Wein, Zoe Lister Jones
Distributor: MGM
Production Co: Mister Lister Films
Rating: R (Sexual Reference|Language Throughout|Drug Material)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 20, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 20, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $11.9K
Runtime: 1h 22m

Most Popular at Home Now