Indie horror film ‘It Ends’ emerges as breakout hit

The indie horror film ‘It Ends’, directed by Alexander Ullom, has emerged as a breakout hit following its premiere at South by Southwest on March 7, 2025. The film, described as a Gen Z road thriller, follows a group of recent graduates trapped on an endless two-lane road surrounded by cosmic horrors. Critics have compared the work to a modern retelling of Jean-Paul Sartre’s existentialist play ‘No Exit’.

Industry observers are comparing the potential trajectory of ‘It Ends’ to recent microbudget successes such as ‘Backrooms’ and ‘Obsession’. ‘Backrooms’, an A24 production, became a significant financial and critical success, centered on a furniture store owner discovering an endless network of rooms in a basement. The rise of these films highlights a growing trend of indie horror projects achieving major cultural and commercial impact.