The End We Start From - Review 

Rating: 4 out of 5

WHILE much of mainstream horror continues to chart a predictable path through slasher or supernatural territory, Mahalia Belo’s striking feature debut The End We Start From opts for something even more scary: the environment.

Not that it’s necessarily a horror. But the scenario it depicts - a UK descending into chaos because of flooding - is nightmarish… all the more so given its potential to come true.

And like a lot of horror, the other central strand of the story is motherhood: as this features a new mum (Jodie Comer) attempting to navigate a decaying society with her newborn - and all of the challenges that being a new and first-time mum also brings.

Horror and motherhood often go hand in hand, whether in the depths of despair attached to loss in Don’t Look Now or the maternal struggles faced by Ripley throughout the Alien franchise. And that’s not forgetting the likes of Jennifer Lawrence’s Mother!, Rosemary’s Baby or the more recent Nightbitch.

What makes The End We Start From more striking, however, is its grounding in reality, with the environment providing a suitably formidable opponent.

Based on a script from Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth, Normal People), adapted from a novel by Megan Hunter, Belo’s film makes some astute observations without either hammering any particular point home or resorting to cheap genre cliche.

For while the breakdown of society in the wake of the London flooding that kickstarts proceedings (along with The Woman’s childbirth in a genuinely tense opening sequence) puts forward apocalyptic style scenarios befitting 28 Days Later or other films of its type, Belo doesn’t linger on atrocity.

Rather, it’s depicted either slightly off-camera, as The Woman shields her baby, or in aftermath, with shaken and bloodied survivors emerging from their confrontations and near misses.

That doesn’t deprive the film of any edge. Rather, it makes things even more unnerving - the horror visible in the trauma of its survivors. And the path towards societal breakdown is believable - especially as supplies run out and self-interest kicks in (as anyone who lived through the pre-Covid toilet roll pandemonium can well remember).

There are several striking sequences, including the sight of Comer’s mum navigating her way through a food queue (chilling on the context of images from Gaza) or a submerged London.

But, again, Belo doesn’t opt for spectacle over character. Comet remains sympathetic throughout, deftly combining a gritty survivor’s instinct with the confusion, anxiety and fear of new motherhood and being in a life or death struggle beyond her comprehension or control. Her journey is afforded equal space on both fronts and remains grounded, yet complex.

There’s decent support, too, from the likes of Katherine Waterston as a fellow mum, who offers much needed emotional support and help, as well as Benedict Cumberbatch, briefly appearing as another traumatised survivor, and Mark Strong, as The Woman’s father-in-law. Joel Fry is also great as The Woman’s husband, eschewing typical hero staples in favour of something more nuanced and realistic.

The End We Start From serves as both a timely and thoughtful cautionary tale and a tribute to new motherhood. It also boasts a tour-de-force from Comer. It’s raw, powerful stuff.

Certificate: 15

Running time: 1hr 42mins