The End (2007 Canadian film)
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(executive producer)
Colin Sheldon (uncredited)[1]
- Jeremy Thomas
- Ella B. May
- Katie Webber
- Darren MacDonald
| The End | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Jeremy Thomas |
| Written by | Jeremy Thomas |
| Produced by | Charlie Ross (executive producer) Colin Sheldon (uncredited)[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Dan Dumouchel Colin Sheldon |
| Music by | Christiaan Venter Nova Pon |
Production companies | Gravemarker Films Perfect Pictures |
| Distributed by | Angerman Distribution[1] |
Release date |
|
Running time | 108 minutes[2][3] |
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
The End is a 2007 Canadian dark comedy thriller horror film written and directed by Jeremy Thomas, who also stars in the film.[1][2][3][4] Thomas himself called his first feature a "lighthearted existential horror film",[5] while four festival reviewers described it in neo-noir terms.[2][3][4] Having won over critics, and an award from the Eugene International Film Festival,[6] Thomas was able to attract investors for his next project, Ally Was Screaming.[7]
Sixteen years ago, a teenage Joseph Rickman (Jeremy Thomas) found a missing girl on sheer intuition, seeing something that others could not. Rickman, now a charismatic schoolteacher, has since come to the conclusion that everything in life has been predetermined, including his own life, and can point to many signs which appear to suggest if not confirm it. He tries to explain himself to those close to him, who treat him as though he may be developing paranoid schizophrenia, as his father did many years ago. An exception to this response is an adoring student, Katie (Katie Webber), who seems to share some of his psychic abilities. Even so, sometimes he, too, thinks he is losing his mind. As his mental state deteriorates, he has a growing sense of dread.
Feeling compelled to walk into the woods one night, he sees a robed, limping man in a tragedy mask and images of people being kidnapped and buried alive as strange little beings look on. A stranger in strange clothing has in fact been seen lurking the dark streets in town at about the times that people have been inexplicably disappearing. Confiding in his long-time friend, Detective Clara Wilkie (Ella B. May), the pair become convinced that what he has seen are visionary premonitions, and they work on the case together, which involves not only multiple kidnapping but serial murder. Tensions increase between them as they spend more time together, and as her feelings for Rickman grow, she is increasingly concerned about his mounting obsession as the case edges delicately towards a bizarre and shocking conclusion.
Cast
- Jeremy Thomas as Joseph Rickman
- Ella B. May as Clara Wilkie
- Katie Webber as Katie
- Darren MacDonald as The Figure • Lobotomized Man • Activator Scientist
Production
Background and filming
Before shooting his first feature film, Jeremy Thomas had made short films as a student[5] at the University of Calgary, where he joined the campus station NUTV to use the equipment, just as director Michael Dowse was leaving.[7] The End was shot on video.[8]
Financing
A low-budget film,[4] The End was largely self-financed,[7] though it did receive support from the National Film Board's Filmmaker Assistance Program.[9] At the 2008 Fantasia International Film Festival, Thomas was apparently apologetic about the film, offering what seemed like "excuses or explanations – they had less money than the short film that precedes it, but it is long for a zero-budget indie," among other details.[10]
Release
The End had its premiere at the Calgary International Film Festival[11][12] on 24 September 2007.[13] Its American premiere was at the 2008 Cinequest Film Festival,[2] an official selection.[4] The film was also screened at Fantasia, the Edmonton International Film Festival, the Eugene International Film Festival (where it won an award), and the International Film Festival of England.[11]
Home media and streaming
The End is available on DVD and for streaming from IndiePlaya.[1]