“To the End” was meant to be a rallying cry for progressives to pour into theaters in support of its environmental message. Throngs were to be drawn to its star power, particularly leftist media darling Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY).
Only, something funny happened on the way to box office success. The movie bombed.
AOC brought supposed star power to her lead role, and she began by taking the audience to the Capitol to push legislation that will be the “moonshot of our generation.”
She and three other featured activists trumpeted their valiant efforts to save the Earth. Environmentalist Varshini Prakash, climate policy writer Rhiana Gunn-Wright, and political strategist Alexandra Rojas compliment Ocasio-Cortez in her efforts as a lawmaker.
“To the End” was hardly a moonshot. The flick debuted on over 120 screens nationwide beginning on Dec. 9. However, it secured only 33rd place for the weekend and took in less than $10,000 total, according to Hollywood In Toto.
That computes to about $80 per location.
AOC's Climate movie "To The End" debuted last week. Starring Rep. AOC, total Gross $ from 120 theaters = less than $10,000. That's less than one person/showing. The "send money now" idea didn't work. Why is the U.S. gov't spending $400 Bil on climate scams? Stupid. #ClimateScam
— Climate Scam (@ClimateScam) December 15, 2022
Of course, the mainstream media declared its devotion to the failed movie. The New York Times categorized the feature as part of AOC’s “canny political strategy” to raise awareness of climate change.
RogerEbert.com’s Nick Allen praised the flick as poised to “ignite more Americans to take action.” And TheWrap’s Elizabeth Weitzman gushed over AOC’s performance as “painfully poignant” and the bellwether of the “optimism, desperation, and determination that powers the entire film.”
“To the End” scored an 83 with critics on Rotten Tomatoes — no surprise there. But actual viewers were not nearly so kind.
One of many one-star audience reviews noted that the film was similar to a production by “middle school kids with no knowledge of science” who attempted to make a climate change documentary.
Try as she may to appear otherwise, Ocasio-Cortez is an elitist politician struggling to form a public perception that she is in fact standing up to elites. Few if any of the downtrodden appeared at the 2021 Met Gala wearing a “Tax the Rich” dress that cost in the tens of thousands.
The public could not care less about the bleating of rich politicians who hobnob with rich Hollywood celebrities. “To the End” was just another failed vehicle in a long list of recent “message” movies that did not click with audiences, and unfortunately there are likely more to come.
