The End of Sex – A Charming Indie Romcom (Early Review)

Films don’t have to be big and flashy to resonate with audiences. There will always be Hollywood productions for moviegoers to flock to that could achieve the same result for the most part but there is something about the indie genre that allows films to focus on the things that matter. They just hit differently. Though The End of Sex is an incredibly charming Canadian indie romcom that may not bring anything new to the table, it thrives on the energy of its two leads Emily Hampshire and Jonas Chernick and the latter’s script. This story about a married couple who go on an adventure as they simply trying to rekindle the spark in their marriage is relatable and sure to resonate with a large number of audiences. While it doesn’t all work, it certainly does not waste anyone’s time, running at a brisk 87 minutes. Not only is it incredibly charming, it is also cute and surprisingly funny at times. That being said, packing so much within a short period of time means a quicker and perhaps less-thorough exploration of its themes. Ultimately, Hampshire and Chernick were so fun to watch that it didn’t matter.

The End of Sex, as mentioned, follows a married couple named Emma (Hampshire) and Josh (Chernick) who send their kids to winter camp to finally have a chance to decompress from the pressures of raising children by having sex whenever or however they wanted. But unfortunately, it did not work the same way for them anymore as they have become stagnant as a couple. Over the course of the seven days their kids were gone, Emma and Josh embarked on a series of misadventures as a means to rekindle their spark before it was too late. Trying new things and testing their limits, their marriage got pushed to the brink as their feelings and insecurities got in the way. As much as it was about having sex, it was about coming to terms with where they were in their lives as other couples seemingly crumbled around them. Unlike those couples, they’ve held more life experience. They were essentially unicorns. Emma and Josh were so entrenched in their ways that breaking out of those ways was difficult for them.

Seeing Emma and Josh eventually branch out and try new things and often failing, realizing that they were not for them, was fun to watch. Regardless of their ups and downs, their shared aversity was just needed a reminder of that they were meant for one another. On the way, there was definitely some failing but with that failing came doubt and that doubt created an opening for their feelings to join the conversation and further complicated the situation. Emma and Josh’s individual moments of personal growth where they had to figure themselves out individually in order to be better for each other were as compelling. Shedding a light on how they were as individuals through their relationships with other characters helped audiences better understand their relationship with one another. Going similar introspective paths, peeling layers off both made it even more clear that they were meant for one another.

Be it the dialog or a series of subtle sight gags, The End of Sex was surprisingly funny. In the end, the best part was the aforementioned pairing of Hampshire and Chernick, who also wrote the script, as Emma and Josh. The film only works if the story is believable and relatable and their charm and chemistry make it happen by each giving Emma and Josh respectively, flaws and humanity that make them easier to connect to on a deeper level. However, the performances as a whole were solid as their primary function of the supporting characters was to create a foundation for Emma and Josh’s story.

At the end of the day, The End of Sex, despite what the title may suggest, is a simple quick dose of charm that may not move the needle in terms of romcoms but still delivers a moving story with moving characters that will entertain.

still courtesy of Vortex Media

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Keith Noakes

The EIC of the coincidentally-named keithlovesmovies.com. A Canadian who prefers to get out of the cold and into the warmth of a movie theatre.