This year has been a great one for Gen Z horror filmmakers, with Obsession and Backrooms breaking box office records. It looks like we might have the opportunity to add another title to that list, as It Ends hits the 2026 movie calendar this weekend. The upcoming horror flick is the directorial debut for twentysomething Alexander Ullom — who also wrote and edited the film — and critics’ reviews (and that 94% Rotten Tomatoes score) have me excited.
The movie follows a group of friends who go on a late-night drive, accidentally turning onto a two-lane road that never ends. The recent graduates are thrown into a hellscape that Den of Crow’s David Crow says is a “fresh” concept and “clever” in execution, as the movie is basically just four characters in a car. Alex Ullom and the cast deserve credit for keeping it so captivating, the critic says, writing:
It Ends is a shrewdly crafted first-time film in the horror genre that reveals enough arresting sense of style and tone to fill 90 minutes in a Jeep with all the terrors, joys, and minor indignities of living. It’s enough to get the introverts to lean in, and the extroverts shudder with dread while searching for the exits. It does indeed end, but the parable lingers with you after the credits.
Brandon Zachary of ScreenRant agrees that It Ends is “fascinating in execution,” in a movie that might have felt dull and repetitive if not for its great cast and a script that’s full of dread but never overwhelmingly bleak. Zachary calls it one of the best horror movies of 2026, rating it 8 out of 10 in his review, which reads:
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It Ends might not be for everyone; there’s certainly a type of horror fan who will balk at the lack of violence or overt scares. However, as a heady exploration of the human condition in an impossible situation, it’s an understated marvel. Writer-director Alexander Ullom has crafted a deliberate exploration of depression and isolation that uses them as springboards for a very impressive debut feature.
Nick Schager of The Daily Beast calls it an “absolute stunner” and further proof that the future of horror is in good hands with the next generation of filmmakers. This twisted take on the teen road trip is the perfect capper to summer’s horror hot streak. The critic writes:
It Ends’ obliqueness allows for multiple readings of its tale—say, as a harrowing allegory about the transition into post-college adulthood; as a philosophical treatise about the limits and necessity of companionship; or as a despairing wail about the pointlessness of seeking purpose in an unfathomable universe. Hints of Kafka, Sartre, and Camus (among others) linger in this nightmare, and Ollum builds suspense from both the external threats surrounding his protagonists and the heavier, troubling internal doubts that mount as their trek continues unabated.
Giovanni Lago of Next Best Picture rates it 8 out of 10, saying in his It Ends review that it’s not only one of the best films of the year, but unlike the YouTuber-created horror hits we’ve seen, this movie feels like the only one made by Gen Z for Gen Z. While the cast is relatively unknown, their phenomenal performances here as a true ensemble show their potential for much more down the road. Lago says:
On the surface, the film’s premise is simple, yet it’s ultimately elevated by Ullom’s inspired screenplay. It Ends investigates how this current generation is plagued by an overbearing sense of existential despair and how they cope with explicitly traumatic moments. … Another aspect that makes Ullom’s screenplay stand out is the dialogue, which can range from being hilarious at one moment to devastating the next. His ability to capture the accuracy of the most arbitrary conversations that friends partake in instills an overall authenticity to the film.
IndieWire’s Esther Zuckerman gives the movie a B-, admitting that the premise is clever but saying the journey isn’t always worth the lack of a destination. Zuckerman writes:
While the movie is often cleverly spooky, it falls short in finding meaning in its fun gimmick of a setup. By the time It Ends, well, ends, you end up wondering: So, that’s it? What once felt fruitful just becomes set up for a gotcha punchline that seems to laugh in the face of anyone actually invested in the story.
Some may have their qualms, but overall It Ends is getting lots of positive attention, garnering the aforementioned 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes. If you want to check out the debut of Alexander Ullom — who’s undoubtedly hoping to be the next Gen Z horror director making headlines for his 2026 debut — catch this one in theaters starting Friday, August 21.