The End We Start From

2023 1h 42m EN

😐

5.8

MID

★5.8TMDB · 146

DramaMysteryThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

As London is submerged below floodwaters, a woman gives birth to her first child. Days later, she and her baby are forced to leave their home in search of safety. They head north through a newly dangerous country seeking refuge from place to place.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Jodie Comer
Woman
Katherine Waterston
O
Joel Fry
R
Mark Strong
N
Gina McKee
F
Nina Sosanya
G
Benedict Cumberbatch
AB
Alexandria Riley
P

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Mahalia Belo
Writers: Alice Birch
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 3 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Mahalia Belo, shot by Suzie Lavelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Anna Meredith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Arttu Salmi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Jodie Comer and Katherine Waterston and Joel Fry carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt21810682 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Mahalia Belo directs. Suzie Lavelle behind the camera. Anna Meredith scores. Arttu Salmi cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 6% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 3 years ago.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Mahalia Belo, shot by Suzie Lavelle. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Anna Meredith. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Arttu Salmi shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Jodie Comer and Katherine Waterston and Joel Fry carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt21810682 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "mother", "london, england", "based on novel or book", "dystopia".

The technical file

Cinematography: Suzie Lavelle
Original score: Anna Meredith
Editing: Arttu Salmi
Production design: Laura Ellis Cricks
Costume design: PC Williams
Makeup / hair: Louise Coles
VFX supervisor: Theodor Groeneboom
Stunt coordinator: Sarah Franzl
Runtime: 102 min · 1h 42m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $10,000,000
Box office: $604,830
Return: 6% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: The End We Start From (2023)

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Mahalia Belo

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Manuel São Bento2023-10-16
★ 5/10
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/the-end-we-start-from-bfi-film-festival-review/ "The End We Start From marks debutant Mahalia Belo as a filmmaker to follow closely in the coming years, despite the story not being imaginative or impactful enough to reach a higher level of satisfaction. With a substantial thematic sense, maternal symbolism is portrayed through Belo's contemplative vision, as well as Susie Lavelle's atmospheric cinematography. However, it's up to Jodie Comer and Katherine Waterston to carry the movie on their shoulders, which, unfortunately, lacks a better exploration of the climate crisis that it uses more as a narrative background trigger. A more memorable conclusion could have made the difference..."" Rating: C+
CinemaSerf2023-12-24
★ 6/10
With a fairly biblical storm raging outside, an heavily pregnant mother (Jodie Comer) is sitting at home watching the telly. Power goes out, waters break then the struggle to get boyfriend (Joel Fry) and ambulance to hospital is the start of their woes. Leaving, they discover that huge swathes of England are under water so they head to higher ground and his parents. Fortunately, they have had a long ridiculed bit of a siege mentality so there's plenty of food but that's about all as the family units begin to disintegrate, just as society is doing at large elsewhere. The couple become separated and the un-named mother must now find safety for herself and her baby until some form of normality returns. This is another hugely emotional effort from Comer with Fry, a fleetingly potent contribution from Benedict Cumberbatch and a strong role for new-found friend Katherine Waterson working well, too. The story though - well it reminded me a little of "Children of Men" (2006). A rather depressing and dreary chronology - augmented with some flashbacks of happier days - of how individuals deal with disaster, be they self induced or imposed, and I struggled to remain engaged as the narrative lumbered along. The direction and the score are also fairly lacklustre. One too many shots of cars driving along, of mother carrying baby, cheering baby, nursing baby - and talking of the baby, boy does it age! If it's meant to be a very personal, intimate even, indictment of mankind's inhumanity to itself when facing desperation then it just about works, anything else was rather wasted on me, I'm afraid.
Kate2024-02-07
★ 8/10
Environmental apocalypse survival story? Sign me up! I loved this movie. You don't often see mom's of newborns as the bravest people on the screen. Yet, true to life, don't mess with a mama bear! Whenever I watch something I look for clues if a woman wrote it or not. With this one I was 100% it was written by a woman and pleased to find out it was two! Also, a woman director, first feature, yay! I can tell the difference between how we write ourselves. I loved the chemistry between Comer & Waterston. I had never seen the latter actor before and this performance made we want to do a deep dive into her work. Both of them earned these parts for sure and did not rely on their beauty one bit in these performances. Strong women write strong women! Also there's super cute babies in it. That's the perfect baby age to me, 4-5 months. So cuddly! Highly recommend for everybody.