Honestly, walking into the theater for It Ends With Us, most people expected a standard Colleen Hoover romance. You know the vibe. Lily Bloom, her flower shop, and a guy who looks like he walked off a cologne billboard. But it didn't take long for the audience to realize they weren't watching a typical "boy meets girl" story. They were watching a messy, agonizing cycle of domestic violence play out in high definition.
The film adaptation, starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, turned into a massive box-office win. It also turned into a PR nightmare. People were divided before the credits even rolled. Some praised it for bringing visibility to toxic relationship dynamics, while others felt the marketing was a bit too "Barbie-fied" for such a heavy subject.
Let’s be real. It’s hard to talk about this movie without talking about the drama behind the scenes. Between the rumored rift between the lead actors and the debate over how abuse should be portrayed on screen, It Ends With Us became much more than just a movie. It became a case study in how Hollywood handles—or sometimes fumbles—sensitive topics.
The Reality of Lily Bloom and Ryle Kincaid
The story isn't just about a love triangle. It’s about Lily Bloom's internal battle. Growing up, she watched her mother endure her father's abuse. She swore she’d never be that woman. Then she meets Ryle. He’s charming. He’s a neurosurgeon. He’s perfect, until he isn't.
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What the movie gets right is the "grooming" phase of an abusive relationship. It’s subtle. It starts with a push that’s framed as an accident. A "oops, I’m just so passionate/stressed/frustrated" moment. Justin Baldoni, who also directed the film, played Ryle with a specific kind of magnetism that makes Lily’s hesitation understandable. It makes the audience feel that same trap. You want to like him. You want to believe he’s better than this.
That’s the trap of the cycle.
Critics often point out that the film relies heavily on the "Atlas Corrigan" subplot. Atlas is the childhood sweetheart, the one who "got away." While his presence offers Lily a safe harbor, some argue it simplifies the escape process. In the real world, leaving an abusive partner doesn't usually involve a handsome billionaire-adjacent chef waiting in the wings. It’s usually much lonelier. It’s terrifyingly quiet.
Visual Cues and the "Gilded" Aesthetic
The movie looks beautiful. Almost too beautiful?
Lily’s floral arrangements are vibrant. Her outfits are eclectic—maybe a little too many layers for some people's fashion tastes—but they pop on screen. This aesthetic choice was intentional. By wrapping a story about trauma in a "rom-com" visual wrapper, the filmmakers aimed to show how abuse can hide in plain sight. It can happen in high-end Boston apartments. It can happen to women who seem to have their lives completely together.
The Controversy You Couldn't Ignore
While the movie was breaking records, the internet was breaking down the press tour. If you were on TikTok or Instagram in late 2024, you saw it. The "feud."
There was a massive disconnect. Blake Lively was often seen promoting her hair care line or encouraging fans to "grab your friends and wear your florals" to the theater. Meanwhile, Justin Baldoni was doing solo press, focusing almost entirely on domestic violence awareness and the "Wayfarer Studios" mission to create socially conscious content.
This split the audience.
- Group A felt Lively was being tone-deaf. They argued that a movie about domestic violence shouldn't be marketed like a fun girls' night out.
- Group B defended her, saying that the movie shouldn't be "trauma porn" and that she was trying to ensure the film reached a wide audience who might actually need to hear the message.
The tension was palpable. Rumors flew about creative differences in the editing room. Reports surfaced that Lively commissioned her own cut of the film. Whether it was true or just "internet sleuthing" run wild, the result was a movie that felt like it had two different souls fighting for dominance.
Let's Talk Numbers
Despite—or because of—the drama, the film was a juggernaut. It grossed over $340 million worldwide against a modest budget. That’s a massive win for a mid-budget drama. It proved that there is a hungry, dedicated audience for "BookTok" adaptations.
But it also raised a question: Does commercial success validate the marketing strategy? Or did the marketing strategy exploit the subject matter?
Why the Ending Actually Matters
The title, It Ends With Us, refers to the cycle of abuse. Lily makes a choice. It’s not the easy choice, and it’s not the one that leads to a "perfect" family unit in the traditional sense. She chooses her daughter over her partner.
She breaks the pattern her mother couldn't.
This is where the movie finds its footing. The final scene between Lily and Ryle in the hospital isn't romanticized. It’s heavy. It’s final. When she asks him, "If our daughter told you her husband did this to her, what would you say?" it strips away all his excuses. It’s a powerful moment of clarity.
It reminds the viewer that "love" isn't a justification for harm.
Common Misconceptions About the Film
- It’s a Romance: No. It’s a drama about survival. If you go in expecting The Notebook, you’re going to be deeply uncomfortable.
- It Ignores the Book: Actually, it stays fairly close to the source material, though it ages the characters up. In the book, they are in their early 20s. In the movie, they are in their 30s. This was a smart move—it makes the stakes feel higher and the characters' career success more believable.
- It Glorifies Ryle: Some viewers felt the movie made Ryle too "likable." However, domestic violence experts often point out that abusers are often likable. If they were monsters 100% of the time, nobody would stay. The "likability" is part of the danger.
Expert Take: The Impact on Domestic Violence Awareness
Organizations like No More and the National Domestic Violence Hotline saw a spike in traffic following the movie's release. This is the "discoverability" factor of pop culture. Even if the marketing was messy, the film put a conversation on the dinner table that wasn't there before.
However, nuance is required.
Expert advocates note that while the movie shows Lily leaving, it doesn't show the grueling legal battles, the financial instability, or the long-term psychological therapy that usually follows. It’s a Hollywood version of a very non-Hollywood reality. That doesn't make it "bad," but it means it should be the start of a conversation, not the end of one.
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The Blake Lively Factor
We have to acknowledge the star power. Blake Lively is a brand. Her involvement guaranteed a certain level of polish. Her husband, Ryan Reynolds, even reportedly wrote scenes for the movie. While this "family affair" approach to filmmaking annoyed some purists, it undeniably moved the needle.
The movie wasn't just a "chick flick." It became a news event.
How to Process the Story if You're a Fan
If you loved the book or the movie, or even if you hated it, there are ways to engage with the themes that go beyond just scrolling through gossip threads.
Check the Sources
Colleen Hoover based the book on her own mother’s experience. Reading her author's note provides a layer of empathy that the "drama" often obscures. It wasn't written to be a "hit"; it was written to process a family history.
Look at the "Wayfarer" Mission
Justin Baldoni’s production company, Wayfarer Studios, focuses on "manhood" and "vulnerability." Looking into their other projects can give you a better idea of why he approached Ryle the way he did. He wasn't trying to be a leading man; he was trying to portray a flawed man.
Support the Right Causes
Instead of just buying the "It Ends With Us" floral merchandise, consider looking into local shelters. The film highlights how difficult it is to find a safe space—Atlas's role as a "savior" highlights how much Lily needed a support system that wasn't there.
Moving Forward After the Credits
It Ends With Us is a complicated piece of media. It’s glossy but gritty. It’s a box-office king but a PR nightmare. It’s a story about flowers and a story about bruises.
The most important thing to take away is the realization that these stories aren't just fiction. They are happening in apartments next door. They are happening to friends. They might even be happening to you.
If the movie did anything right, it was making it impossible to look away. It forced the audience to sit in the discomfort of a "perfect" man being a perpetrator. It forced us to see that breaking the cycle is a violent, beautiful, necessary act of self-love.
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Practical Next Steps
- Educate yourself on the "Cycle of Abuse": Research the three phases (Tension Building, Incident, Reconciliation). Recognizing the pattern is the first step to breaking it.
- Support Local Shelters: If the movie moved you, look for domestic violence organizations in your city that need volunteers or donations.
- Watch with Nuance: If you revisit the film, watch it through the lens of Lily's agency. Notice when she makes excuses and when she stops making them.
- Seek Help if Needed: If you or someone you know is in an unsafe situation, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788. You don't need to have an "Atlas" to deserve a way out.
The conversation shouldn't stop because the movie is out of theaters. Use the film as a jumping-off point to discuss boundaries, red flags, and the courage it takes to say "this is where it ends."