Is Joshua Oppenheimer The End a Musical? Everything We Know About Tilda Swinton Starrer Movie

Joshua Oppenheimer's post-apocalyptic musical The End, starring Tilda Swinton and George MacKay, debuts at major film festivals, blending grim reality with Golden Age Broadway charm.

Published on Jul 25, 2024  |  06:39 PM IST |  90.1K
YouTube/ Amazon MGM Studios and IMDB
Tilda Swinton (PC: YouTube/ Amazon MGM Studios)
Key Highlight
  • The End combines a post-apocalyptic setting with Golden Age Broadway musical
  • The film features a star-studded cast, including Tilda Swinton

Joshua Oppenheimer’s much-hyped movie, The End, is expected to create a splash at a number of prestigious film festivals. These include Telluride and the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), with the possibility of it having its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival. While Cannes may have initially overlooked The End, it is now being noticed due to its unique story-telling style and casting.

A sneak peek into The End

During the TIFF this year, the first glimpse of this unique post-apocalyptic musical was given to people in attendance, thereby heightening anticipation. 

This production could be best described as a Golden Age musical set in post-apocalyptic time, with all the vibrancy of classical Broadway musicals mixed with the darkness that is destroying everything else.

Filming for the film began in February 2023, boasting an impressive cast made up of George MacKay, Tilda Swinton, Michael Shannon, Moses Ingram, Bronagh Gallagher, Tim McInnerny, and Lennie James.

The plot

The End revolves around a family, the last hope for humanity, living two decades after an apocalypse in an opulent underground shelter. This family consists of a mother, father, and their twenty-year-old son, who has spent his entire life in the bunker without ever seeing the outside world.

In addition to the family, the shelter also includes a maid and a doctor, as well as a butler who aids them in surviving the harsh conditions after narrowly escaping death. They had endured years of extreme challenges alone outside before finding refuge.

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Initially, their survival is portrayed as a remarkable feat of endurance. However, underlying their situation are tensions and guilt stemming from loved ones they left behind. These emotions are further complicated by the father’s past as an oil magnate, whose actions significantly contributed to the ecological catastrophe.

The musical aspect, inspired by Broadway’s Golden Age, contrasts sharply with the bleakness outside and symbolizes their desperate delusions and fear of confronting their guilt.

First look and production details

A TIFF-released image offers a glimpse of the film’s visual style and thematic elements. The picture contrasts the luxurious underground shelter with the devastated wasteland outside, highlighting the themes of survival, guilt, and mental illness that accompany long-term isolation.

The End stands out as a post-apocalyptic drama, with its incorporation of Broadway’s Golden Age music adding a layer of irony and depth. The songs serve to feign happiness, contrasting sharply with the characters' underlying misery.

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Produced by Joshua Oppenheimer and Signe Byrge Sørensen, the film was created in collaboration with Final Cut for Real, Wild Atlantic Pictures, and The Match Factory. Filming began in October 2021 at locations in Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

Neon will handle the distribution of The End following its festival premieres, promising a unique and thought-provoking cinematic experience.

ALSO READ: Charlize Theron Reveals She Has Watched Anya Taylor-Joy’s Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga; 'It’s A Beautiful Film'

What is The End about?
It follows the last human family in a luxurious bunker 20 years after an apocalypse, blending grim reality with Broadway musical elements.

Where did the filming take place?
Filming took place in Ireland, Italy, and Germany.

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About The Author

Shovan has a Masters in Mass Communication and Journalism degree from Calcutta University. He loves to live in the

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