Endless is a 2020 supernatural romantic drama film starring Alexandra Shipp and Nicholas Hamilton.
Riley and Chris are recent high school graduates deeply in love with each other. When Riley is accepted to Georgetown University however, working class Chris is upset despite Riley's insistence they can have a long-distance relationship. However, on the car ride home from a party tragedy strikes when Chris dies in a car accident. Riley is devastated and blames herself for distracting him. Chris however is stuck in limbo as a ghost, trying his hardest to reach her. He finally succeeds and Riley is overjoyed, but this may not be for the best.
Examples:
- Boy Meets Ghoul: Riley and Chris, who had a relationship while he was alive, continue their romance when he's dead as a ghost (as much as possible).
- Cassandra Truth: No one believes that Riley is really speaking with Chris. They just think it's hallucinations due to her grief at his death, and are quite concerned as a result.
- Disappeared Dad: Chris's dad abandoned him and his mom when he was a kid. Later it turns out he had a second family and didn't even leave the state. His dad later visits Chris's grave, and so may regret it.
- Driven to Suicide: Jordan didn't actually get killed by robbers. He killed himself in guilt after losing track of his niece, who later was found dead.
- Earn Your Happy Ending: After great trauma and struggle over his death, Riley accepts that she has to move on, just like Chris does. She's last seen happily going to college.
- Interclass Romance: Riley is the child of wealthy lawyers. Chris comes from a humble background with a single mom. There's friction as she gets accepted into a top college, while he clearly isn't going anywhere. Aside from this however it isn't an issue, and Riley's determined for them to be together.
- Interrupted Suicide: Riley nearly drowns herself in the lake, wanting to join Chris after he cuts her off. He stops this, and she's revived by paramedics.
- I See Dead People: Riley becomes able to communicate with Chris as a ghost, though most people think she's just hallucinating in grief over his death.
- It's All My Fault: Riley blames herself for Chris's death, thinking she distracted him.
- The Lost Lenore: Chris remains Riley's Love Interest throughout the film despite being dead, though here he contacts her as a ghost, to her delight, with the entire plot centered on this.
- Mind Link Mates: Riley starts to share parts of Chris's mind after they connect when he's a ghost, for instance taking up his food and music tastes.
- Our Ghosts Are Different: Ghosts are souls still trapped between Earth and the afterlife, "limbo" over some unfinished business. They're capable of teleporting from one place to another. With time they can also affect matter. Normally they can't communicate with the living. Jordan is astonished after Chris is able to speak with Riley, saying he had always heard it was impossible.
- Outliving One's Offspring: Chris's mom is distraught over his death, taking it out somewhat against Riley and her parents. His dad later visits his grave as well, leaving flowers by the tombstone.
- Paranormal Romance: Riley and Chris's romance doesn't die with him. It continues somewhat after he's dead and becomes a ghost.
- Sanity Slippage: Riley grows increasingly unhinged over her contact with and obsession over Chris. This convinces him that he has to let her go.
- Unfinished Business: This is the reason ghosts are stuck in limbo, having something stopping them going on to the afterlife. For Chris, it was Riley. Jordan still hasn't at the end, though he seems happy with helping new ghosts adjust to their state (particularly young, attractive female ones). For him it seems to be atonement over his niece dying because he neglected to watch her enough.
