Trigger warning: This article contains mention of domestic violence.

The internet has worked up a storm ever since the highly anticipated release of It Ends With Us. The film, which was originally a book written by Colleen Hoover follows the story of a domestic violence survivor. What many women hoped would be a call to action, turned out to be what some, like Fanshawe student Alyssa Piotrowski, felt was a glamourization of intimate partner violence, and a money grab for Hollywood.

“At the start of the movie, they paint the abuser to be this great guy,” Piotrowski said. “He seems harmless. They even blur out scenes where he loses his temper, they want the audience to understand how truly hard it is for these women to walk away.” 

While the so-called “glorification” of the character feels necessary for truly understanding why these situations are so difficult for women to leave, she also didn’t disagree that the intentions behind the movie weren’t pure.

Blake Lively, the lead actress in the movie is receiving the brunt of the hate for the way she has advertised the movie.

“When [Lively] said, ‘Grab your friends, wear your florals,’ it really rubbed me the wrong way,” Piotrowski said, echoing similar criticisms online. “It felt like I was watching advertisements for the Barbie movie, a movie about girlhood and loads of feel-good moments, not a movie about domestic violence.” 

It was also during this time that the A-list actress announced the release of her new haircare line, which furthered the narrative that the movie had no intention of being a means of advocacy for domestic violence survivors.

“It's just an inappropriate time to drop a haircare line, how are you going to use this movie to advertise a hair care line but not any hotlines or available help for women experiencing domestic violence?”

According to Domestic Abuse Services Oxford, one in four Canadian women experience some form of abuse at the hands of their partner. It is estimated that only 25 per cent of those incidents are reported. Despite the need for resources, the movie did not include any during the screening or in any of the marketing for the film.

“Having a platform as big as any of the film's contributors would really help resources reach communities who need them,” Piotrowski said.

A content warning was also absent from the film, which led to many survivors of domestic violence taking to social media to share how the film brought up lots of trauma. Some online said they would have avoided the film had they known the contents.

“It was advertised as a rom-com, so I can't imagine the panic those who have experienced these situations felt when they viewed it, it was a hard watch,” Piotrowski shared.

If you or anyone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact London’s Domestic Violence helpline at 519-661-5670. For on-campus resources email: svsupport@fanshawec.ca.