It's a tale as old as time: She graduated second in her class and has her eyes set on law school, he's a bad boy who rides a motorcycle. They're in love and meant to be. But based on the trappings of teen movie romances we know the universe has other plans, and "Endless" serves up yet another tragic teen romance.
In the opening voiceover, Riley (Alexandra Shipp) lists everything she accomplished in her final year of high school but cites her most important achievement is starting a relationship with Chris (Nicholas Hamilton). He barely made it to graduation, and her parents certainly don't approve of her riding around on his motorcycle. "We didn't make sense on paper," Riley acknowledges, but they were completely and hopelessly in love.
If you're thinking "Endless" leads to a tragedy, it may surprise you: it takes the film's tragedy and puts it up front. On the way home from a party one night, Riley has to borrow a friend's car because Chris is too drunk to take her home on his motorcycle. On the way back, they get in a car accident, which leaves Riley in the hospital but sadly kills Chris. As one would expect, Riley is devastated, and her entire life is turned upside down by the loss of the love of her life. The twist? We can still see Chris, who is sitting by her side in the hospital, but Riley can't see him.
The movie is about grief and adapting to loss, but it bogs itself down with Chris trying to communicate with Riley from the beyond. It all turns soapy when it tries to enter "Ghost" territory. The movie, however, is designed as a leading role for Shipp, who has brought her massive charisma and presence to supporting roles in movies like "Love, Simon" and gets a chance to take center stage here. Shipp brings Riley's devastation to the forefront as she tries to make sense of what happened and live with the guilt she feels for the accident. Hamilton isn't quite a match for Shipp's radiant energy, but the two do have some nice moments together.
Director Scott Speer has spent time in the teen weeper sphere, having directed the forgettable "Midnight Sun" just a few years ago. "Endless" might work a bit better than his last, but that is all due to Shipp. Hopefully, she can leave these bland stories behind and find a project worthy of her talent.
"Endless" on digital and demand started 2020 August 14.
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