The End We Start From

Adapted from Megan Hunter’s novel by screenwriter Alice Birch (Lady Macbeth, 2016; Normal People, 2020), Mahalia Belo’s debut feature stars Jodie Comer (Killing Eve, 2018-22; The Last Duel, 2021) in her first big screen lead role as an unnamed Woman struggling to protect her newborn child as the United Kingdom is hit with environmental catastrophe in the form of flooding. Together with her husband R (Joel Fry) and his parents G (Nina Sosanya) and N (Mark Strong), the family flees north from London, but tragedy follows and Woman and her son Zeb are forced to resume travelling, alone. Conflating the anxieties of new motherhood with those of this frightening new world, the film is a low-key, intimate portrayal of a post-apocalyptic world, featuring supporting turns from Benedict Cumberbatch, Katherine Waterston, and Gina McKee. However, it is Comer’s phenomenal performance that stands as the film’s greatest asset.