Every reader dreams of seeing their favorite book come to life on the big screen. The best feeling is finally seeing all the characters, story, setting, etc., become a true reality. Recently, the #1 New York Times bestseller “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover hit the box office. Due to the novel’s extreme popularity, it was no surprise that the movie ended up being a hit in theaters. “It Ends With Us” has reached the impressive milestone of earning 100 million dollars in just the first week. This movie has not only broken box office records but also the silence that often surrounds domestic violence. Yet, there is a large gap between those who believe the film covers the sensitive topic correctly and those who see it as “romanticized.”

Colleen Hoover is an author known for writing emotionally captivating books. She has gained much popularity from her novel “It Ends With Us,” which became viral on #BookTok, a space on TikTok created by readers around the world that is used to share different books. The novel was seen as captivating and unique by thousands of readers. Like many of her novels, it is marketed as a romance novel. However, as the reader dives deeper into the story, it becomes more apparent how Hoover introduces the sensitive topic of domestic violence. She tells a very clear story of a woman’s journey in trying to escape a cycle of abuse. The way Hoover writes the story makes the reader feel as if they are in the main character Lily’s shoes. The reader follows a past and present timeline in Lily’s life to see how domestic violence has affected so many aspects of her life. The novel touches on a very important issue that is not seen widely in other popular novels. 

Yet there is a huge controversy over the movie adaptation. There are two sides to the reviews of the very popular movie, which was targeted towards a mainly female audience. The theater was primarily filled with young women and some husbands and boyfriends here and there. Senior Martina Stanton Guevara stated, “I flocked to the movie theater after reading the novel. I have little to no knowledge of the topic of domestic violence. I believe this movie educated the younger generation on its commonality in society.”  The sad truth of how widespread domestic violence is in our country is now common knowledge. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, 1 in 4 women (24.3%) and 1 in 7 men (13.8%) aged 18 and older in the US have been the victim of severe physical violence by an intimate partner in their lifetime. Furthermore, women ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experience the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Based on these statistics, it is very important to bring light to such an important topic. Senior Amanda Miller said, “I was one of the very few viewers who saw the movie without reading the book before. I truly loved the movie. It was an emotional rollercoaster that made me cry, laugh, and smile. Even though it covered a sensitive topic, I believed the movie was still enjoyable due to the romantic aspect of it.” 

The other side of the reviews offers the opposite insight into the movie. Many of the negative reviews focused on the marketing of the movie. Although the movie covered an important topic, many advertisements for the movie only showed the romantic aspect of it. Senior Cameron Corzine said, “I went into the movie believing that it was a romance movie, not one that covered the topic of domestic violence. The ads I watched grazed over the true plot of the movie, making me believe a plot that was different from the real plot of the movie.” Furthermore, in Teen Vogue writer Sriya Tallapragada’s review, she states, “Still, the movie — like the book — fails to commit to the seriousness of its storyline, staying true to its teen romance origins, complete with eccentric outfits, sarcastic one-liners, uplifting music, and steamy scenes that, as director Justin Badloni put it, catered to the ‘female gaze.’” Many believe that both the book and the movie are marketed as a romance novel that will make the reader cry. Yet, the true topic is much more than just something to cry about. It depicts the reality of many women and men who are afraid to break the cycle of domestic violence. 

Even though there are many contradicting reviews regarding the movie adaptations of “It Ends With Us,” every viewer and reader can agree that the movie does bring light to an unknown yet common issue. The movie educated many young women on a topic that is rarely touched on. The plot truly broke the silence, whether it was negatively or positively.