‘It Ends’ Is the Newest Gen Z Horror Movie to Send Critics Into a Frenzy as Rotten Tomatoes Score Is Revealed

Horror has quietly become the genre where young directors get to prove themselves this year, with breakout hits from filmmakers barely out of their twenties reshaping what audiences expect from the space. Between the box office success of movies like ‘Obsession’ and ‘Backrooms,’ a new generation of horror voices has been steadily building momentum throughout 2026.

The latest name joining that wave is Alexander Ullom, a first-time feature director whose deeply personal approach to genre filmmaking has already started turning heads on the festival circuit. His debut has been building buzz since premiering well over a year ago, and now it’s finally reaching wide audiences in theaters.

Alexander Ullom’s ‘It Ends‘ is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with 95%, following four friends whose post-college plans are derailed when a wrong turn traps them on a never-ending backroad. The film premiered at the South by Southwest Film & TV Festival back in March 2025, before Neon acquired worldwide theatrical rights in December of that year, setting the stage for its wide theatrical debut this weekend.

Ullom wore multiple hats on the project, serving as writer, director, and editor while also appearing in the film himself in a small role. The film stars Phinehas Yoon, Akira Jackson, Noah Toth, and Mitchell Cole as the four recent graduates whose late-night drive for food spirals into a nightmarish, unending stretch of road, with Carrie Carusone and Evan Barber producing.

Critics have responded with genuine enthusiasm to Ullom’s approach, particularly given the challenge of sustaining tension with a cast largely confined to a single vehicle. Reviewers have praised the film’s ability to blend existential dread with dark humor, with one critic noting the movie’s tonal balance between terror and quieter, more contemplative moments as one of its biggest strengths.

The film’s premise draws on something more personal than typical genre trappings. Ullom has spoken about graduating college during the pandemic and openly struggling with dissociative depression, context that shapes the film’s central character, James, whose jaded outlook on his own future carries a specific kind of poison that resonates with the film’s broader themes about entering adulthood only to find monotony waiting on the other side.

Not every review has been glowing, with some critics noting the film’s central concept can feel stretched thin over its runtime, even while praising Ullom’s eye for casting largely unknown actors who deliver genuinely compelling performances. Still, the overwhelming critical consensus has positioned “It Ends” as one of the standout horror releases of the year.

Ullom’s career is already moving forward well past this debut. He’s completed work on another Neon horror project titled “4 X 4: The Event,” which will star Sophia Lillis, Jaden Smith, Jacob Tremblay, and Dylan Minnette as contestants trapped in a disturbing and deadly livestream competition, suggesting Ullom’s knack for confined, high-tension premises isn’t a one-time trick.

With “It Ends” now playing in theaters and continuing to build word of mouth off its strong critical reception, Ullom looks positioned to become one of the genre’s most closely watched new voices, further cementing 2026 as a genuinely strong year for young horror filmmakers finding their footing on the big screen.

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