Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel It Ends With Us was recently adapted into a film at the beginning of August 2024. The film starring Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni is facing major criticism for seemingly glorifying the triggering subject of domestic violence. 

It Ends With Us follows the story of Lily Bloom played by Blake Lively. She grows up in an abusive environment, constantly witnessing her father abuse her mother. In a flashback, she meets a boy named Atlas and they form a strong connection, one that they both would never forget. After an incident, they end up not seeing each other again. 

In the present day, Lilly moves to Boston to open her flower shop: a lifelong dream of hers. She ends up meeting a man named Ryle and reconnecting with Atlas. She struggles with Ryle’s abusive tendencies and questions her decisions, not wanting to end up with a relationship like her mother and father. You’ll have to watch the movie to see how this plays out.

To begin, critics believe the movie was a failed portrait of domestic violence, with the issue being taken too lightly. Some of the cast members were asked questions regarding heavy topics relating to the movie. During these interviews, their responses were carefree and insensitive causing backlash and upset fans.

In her interviews, Blake Lively constantly tip-toes around the questions that people want detailed and thoughtful answers involving her standpoint on the abuse and violence in the movie. Many critics and fans of the film have noticed a disconnect with some castmates, including Lively, on the movie’s subject matter and the importance of the topics at hand.

Overall, the movie itself wasn’t terrible. I think it had the opportunity to be good. Still, with the poor marking of the sensitive topic of domestic violence, the focus was shifted away from the movie and towards the issues with addressing the importance of the main topic.