Life Is a Highway: The Terror of ‘It Ends’
Summary
Host Sonny Bunch interviews director Alex about his existential horror film *It Ends*, detailing its unconventional journey from a $30,000 indie project to a Neon release. Alex explains how grassroots support from online horror influencers and a Letterboxd premiere helped secure distribution after traditional market rejection. The conversation covers the film’s unique financing, its themes of liminality and generational anxiety, and the shifting landscape of Hollywood’s relationship with digital creators.
Topics discussed
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Intro: Sunny Bunch and Alex Ullam discuss the film It Ends
The unusual path from SXSW to Letterboxd to Neon distribution
Grassroots success and the role of online horror influencers
Crowdfunding the film with a magician, YouTuber, and poker player
Iterative editing, reshoots, and finding the right balance
The film's premise: existential horror and the 'hangout' genre
Filming logistics: shooting inside a car using a volume stage
The shift in Hollywood: YouTube creators entering mainstream film
Liminal spaces and the anxiety of modern adulthood
Graduating during the pandemic and its psychological impact
Thoughts on AI in filmmaking and the future of creative work
Closing remarks and teaser for Alex's next Neon project
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