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The Endless

The Endless

Time is a prison.

2017111 minNot RatedMidcredits score: 66th percentile of all films
Directors
Justin Benson, Aaron Moorhead
Starring
Aaron Moorhead, Justin Benson, Callie Hernandez, Tate Ellington

Two brothers return to the cult they fled from years ago to discover that the group's beliefs may be more sane than they once thought.

Where to watch

Where can I watch The Endless?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The Endless streaming on AMC+, Cineverse via Prime Video, Fandor via Prime Video, Midnight Pulp via Prime Video, Peacock, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, Screambox via Prime Video, Shudder via Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about The Endless?

The Endless earns 7 badges, led by Top 5% in Horror and One of a kind.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is The Endless worth watching?

The Endless' Midcredits score is the 66th percentile of all films, from 164K ratings across 6 sources. 56% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

66th percentile

Better received than 66% of films

95th percentile among Horror66th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)69th
Approval (how many liked it)61st

67 /100

69th percentile of all films

95th percentile among Horror68th percentile among 2010s

Critics 80 · Audience 66

Critics liked it more than audiences did.

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 6.5 — solid but not unanimous.

56% liked it

61st percentile of all films

89th percentile among Horror61st percentile among 2010s
56% rated it 7–1044% rated it 1–6

Critics 91% · Audience 67%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 2 wins / 7 noms overall

97th percentile

164K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Horror96th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 9% in 30 days

Box office

Opening weekend$9.1K
Domestic gross$272K
Worldwide gross$960K

57th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a low-budget indie that prioritizes a high-concept time-loop mystery and atmosphere over conventional thrills or clear exposition.

Fans praised

  • original mind-bending time loop concept
  • strong brotherly relationship and believable performances
  • atmospheric tension and Lovecraftian dread

Detractors panned

  • wooden, emotionless lead acting
  • slow, meandering pace with little payoff
  • confusing plot full of unanswered questions and internal inconsistencies

What stands out

Originality85

refreshingly unique sci-fi/horror concept, unlike typical genre fare

AtmosphereDivisive75

pervasive dread and eerie isolation are well-established

Plot and storyDivisive65

original time-loop premise but riddled with logical gaps and loose ends

EndingDivisive50

ambiguous resolution satisfies some but feels rushed and incomplete to others

ActingDivisive45

stiff, amateurish lead performances; cast has natural moments but lacks range

CharactersDivisive45

brothers' dynamic is central but side characters feel thin and underwritten

DialogueDivisive45

banter feels stilted, unnatural, and overly expository

PacingDivisive40

too slow in first half, picks up only in final act

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 11 points higher than women.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Under-30s vs over-30s 2 points apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is The Endless like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Scary: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you can give it your full attention, and you want to be scared.

It takes its time and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you can only half-watch or you want things to move fast.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, patience and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Scary.

The answer rests on this: Moods
DreadTenseContemplative
Heaviest: late
Register
Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.Dreamlike · 2% of films: Logic gives way to atmosphere and association.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film plays its eerie, supernatural events entirely straight, with sincere emotional stakes and no ironic distance.
The rideA creeping sense of dread builds throughout, with contemplative moments, culminating in a tense and heavy finale as the brothers face the entity.
StructureThe story unfolds in linear order from arrival to climax and escape, following a conventional beginning-middle-end.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingUnsettling
Why it leaves you this wayThe film leaves you contemplating the nature of reality and the cult's entity, with a lingering unease about the unresolved mysteries.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

Why this archetypeThe central drive is understanding the surreal phenomena at Camp Arcadia; the film is built around an enigma that defies logic.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsIdentity · 14% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe film centers on the strained relationship between brothers Justin and Aaron, whose differing memories and life paths are challenged by their return to the commune.
StanceThe film interrogates the bond between the brothers and their differing views on belonging and escape, without celebrating or condemning either choice.

The world

ContemporaryRuralWildernessMagical realism
AmbientElectronicSupportive music · original score · Jimmy LaValle
SettingCamp Arcadia, a remote commune in the woods
MusicThe score creates an eerie, atmospheric soundscape that mirrors the film's unsettling tone.

Content guide

Is The Endless okay for kids?

Not Rated

The Endless is not rated. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (45/100), sexual content at mild (15/100), language at intense (80/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (44/100) and frightening material at intense (64/100). Overall it is heavier than 59% of unrated films.

Ratings in 17 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany16
  • JapanR15+
  • Brazil16
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-16
  • ItalyT
  • Netherlands14
  • Norway12
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/14
  • Russia16+
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 62% of all filmsHeavier than 59% of unrated films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 38%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
light for an unrated film
heavier than 19%
Profanity
Intense
heavy for an unrated film
heavier than 87%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 68%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an unrated film
heavier than 62%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what unrated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does The Endless have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The Endless?

Cast

Aaron Moorhead
as Aaron
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Justin Benson
as Justin
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Callie Hernandez
as Anna
Tate Ellington
as Hal
Shane Brady
as Shane
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Lew Temple
as Tim
Kira Powell
as Lizzy
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
David Lawson Jr.
as Dave
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
James Jordan
as 'Shitty' Carl
Emily Montague
as Jennifer Danube
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like The Endless?

Movies like The Endless include Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998), Spring (2014) and Something in the Dirt (2022). Of the 12 closest matches, several are cosmic horror films, and half are stories about siblings.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

Justin Benson wrote and directed 3 of these 12. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with The Endless?

86 other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: cosmic horror. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.