The Endless

Although made on a budget that would probably fail to cover the catering costs on most Hollywood sci-fi epics, this supernatural thriller by co-directors Aaron Moorhead and Justin Benson (who also scripted) delivers more suspense and surprises than similar fare. The pair also star as brothers named Aaron and Justin, who escaped what they describe as a “UFO death cult” based in the California wilds years earlier and have since been living a hand-to-mouth existence in Los Angeles. When they receive a videotape from a pretty member of the group describing preparations for a rapture-like exit called the Ascension, Aaron begs the skeptical Justin to return for a brief visit, where they find their old comrades not only welcoming but virtually unchanged despite the passage of time. From that point, the plot takes off in varied directions, revolving around intimations of a monster in a nearby lake, reports of hikers who have disappeared in the woods, and a weird test involving a struggle to control a rope that appears to disappear into the sky. Ultimately, time loops are added to the equation as the brothers try to escape again. While the complications grow a bit excessive, and the visual effects are hardly cutting-edge, Moorhead and Benson use their meager resources cunningly, and entice solid performances from the cast. Recommended. (F. Swietek)