The recent film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s best-selling novel, “It Ends With Us,” has captivated audiences. It presents an intense portrayal of love and resilience. However, the film’s handling of domestic violence has sparked significant debate. Viewers are concerned about the romanticization of abusive relationships in popular media.
“It Ends With Us” centers on Lily Bloom. She is a young woman who falls for Ryle Kincaid, a charming yet volatile neurosurgeon. As their relationship progresses, Ryle’s controlling and violent tendencies emerge. This challenges Lily’s understanding of love and self-worth. The narrative shows Ryle’s abusive behaviors with moments of passion and affection. This has created a portrayal that viewers argue romanticizes the abuse.
“The intention was to not glorify it [domestic violence], in any way, and so I hope that those same people who feel that way watch the movie and feel at ease, and in some ways feel seen.” – Justin Baldoni, Director and Co-star of “It Ends With Us”
The story is praised for its emotional depth and the complexity of its characters. It also raises critical concerns about how domestic violence is represented.
Mik Zaxon is a domestic abuse survivor and TikTok influencer with 1.7 million followers. She said that nothing portrayed domestic violence as accurately as she experienced it. However, she feels that there should have been more disclaimers during the movie’s promotion. She felt like she had been “hit by a train” because of this.
“It is a cultural thing to normalize and romanticize abuse in literally every love story that you read or watch so it’s important to prevent desensitization by giving disclaimers beforehand,” Zaxon said, despite saying she enjoyed the film.
When speaking to the Associated Press about the glorification of domestic violence in the film, Justin Baldoni, co-star and director of “It Ends With Us,” said that viewers are entitled to their opinions. He understands why they might feel that way. Baldoni added that “…we live in a culture where, unfortunately, too many things are glorified. And we are fighting for attention in an attention economy… so it makes perfect sense that people would feel that way.”
“It Ends With Us” attempts to address important themes related to love and self-worth. Yet, its portrayal of domestic violence raises concerns about romanticizing and simplifying such a serious issue.
Despite the controversy and significant debates surrounding the film, “It Ends With Us” has achieved a worldwide box office gross of over $210 million. This is 8.4 times more than the film’s budget.
