The Endless

Two brothers, Justin and Aaron, escaped from a UFO cult 10 years ago. Life outside the cult isn't great, and so when they get a tape in the mail, suggesting the cult hadn't killed itself yet, Aaron wants to go back for a visit. Justin is reluctant, but agrees in such a way that it makes it seem to be some magnanimous gesture on his part.

Once there, it becomes clear there's something screwy going on. Two moons visible, even in the day (yes, the movie takes place on Earth, not some alien world with two moons). Photographs dropping from the sky. People who look the same after 10 years. Aaron finds he likes being there, and that he's sick of Justin making all the decisions, especially since he doesn't seem to be doing a great job of it. And here's Justin, deciding on his own they're going to leave.

The movie leads with two quotes, one from Lovecraft about how it's the Unknown that terrifies people the most, and that's true on a couple of levels. The Unknown force at work there, whose goals they can't guess at, but also the Unknown of the future. Justin doesn't seem like he could buy into the cult because he didn't know what they were working toward. He wanted something concrete, but there wasn't anything (from his perspective). Some day there would be an "ascension" whatever that meant. Until then? Just keep occupied within a limited sphere. He prefers the possibilities of the world outside, even if it hasn't been great. Or maybe he just likes being in charge. One easy way to know who's the boss is to be the boss yourself.

Aaron finds the limited range of options, the security of the cult appealing now. Even when he knows what the end is going to be, he prefers the known of everything up to that point. Because from his perspective, their life the last 10 years hasn't been one of unlimited possibilities. It's just been a dull, shitty trudge day after day. The Unknown there scares him, because all he can see is ways it'll be exhausting and bad.

There are some terrifying parts, not in the sense of gore or violence, just the implications for the lives of the characters. What they're going through is pretty bad. The movie plays with the ambiguous nature of the presence. Sometimes it seems hostile, especially towards Justin. But other times it seems helpful. Sometimes it seems to simply be messing around. And the film using the awkwardness of the two brothers returning to a place they abandoned well. It's awkward, and so you can't quite tell if that's what causes the uneasy feelings, or if it's more than that. The people all seem very friendly, but is that true or not?