Other dangers of books like “It Ends With Us” are that women can use them as a form of escapism, and such books can create “unhealthy expectations in relationships.”
Emotional pornography makes women “extremely discontent,” said Stuckey, who also said she had concerns about Francine Rivers’ book, “Redeeming Love,” which was adapted as a film in 2022. “Not that it was necessarily glorifying abuse,” Stuckey said, “but I think it was too sexually graphic for the young woman who is trying to abstain from sexual behavior until she [is] married.”
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“Be very careful,” said Stuckey of “It Ends With Us.” “Don’t let your kids see it.”
Some parents who reviewed “It Ends With Us” for Common Sense Media said they thought it did a good job of portraying a positive message. One, however, said it “glorifies domestic violence,” while another was surprised that the movie did not get an R rating (it is rated PG-13).
Several people on Reddit agreed that the book’s portrayal of a rape scene was far more graphic than the corresponding scene in the movie and that the movie generally toned down the disturbing nature of Lily and Ryle’s relationship.
Notably, the film has received some negative reactions from secular critics for its portrayal of domestic violence. Some have said that the marketing for the movie portrayed the story as “lighthearted” and failed to communicate that viewers were going to see a movie about abuse. Blake Lively has also received criticism for how she has promoted the film; conservative political commentator Meghan McCain called Lively’s press tour “insensitive.”
Some domestic violence survivors took issue with the fact that “It Ends With Us” did not include a trigger warning at the beginning of the film and did not feature resources prominently enough at the end of it.
