Alex Ullom Announces New Thriller Inspired by MrBeast and Battle Royale

Alex Ullom, the 27-year-old filmmaker behind Neon’s new horror release It Ends, has already wrapped production on his next movie. After premiering his lo-fi existential debut at SXSW, Ullom is pivoting toward what he calls straight maximalism with 4 X 4: The Event.

“4 X 4: The Event is the complete opposite of It Ends,” Ullom said during a Zoom conversation.

It Ends tracks four recent college graduates whose post-graduation road trip unravels when they find themselves trapped on a road that breaks the laws of physics. While preparing to discuss the theatrical rollout, Deadline reported that Ullom had quietly completed filming 4 X 4: The Event with a cast led by Jaden Smith and Sophia Lillis. According to the report, the storyline follows eight contestants trapped in an illegal sensory-assault livestream where participants must fight to survive using goods ordered online.

An unsourced plot summary on IMDb described the concept as a combination of Battle Royale, Saw, and Climax.

When asked whether the premise leans into reality television satire, Ullom clarified the creative direction. “Not reality TV,” Ullom said. “I would call it like, illegal, off-the-grid MrBeast Games meets political revolution and meets Gaspar Noé.”

Noé, the provocative French director known for Climax, Irreversible, and Enter the Void, serves as an unexpected reference point for a director whose first feature leans heavily into quiet hangout comedy rhythms alongside horror elements.

“I fucking love Gaspar,” Ullom said. “You wouldn’t be able to tell by watching It Ends. If It Ends is minimalism, you know, this is, like, straight maximalism. I’m trying to overload the fucking theater. I want the entire movie to feel like the title sequence of Enter the Void.”

That sensory opening sequence from Noé connects directly to It Ends, which places an intense title sequence twenty minutes into the narrative. Viewers can watch the strobe-lit title sequence online.

“I love the title drop in It Ends,” Ullom said. “That’s the kind of editing style of the entire movie of 4 X 4.”

Regarding whether 4 X 4: The Event takes place in modern times or a dystopian future, Ullom kept the timeline deliberately grounded in contemporary chaos. “Do you feel like we live in modern times?” Ullom said. “I think that if you turn on the internet and look at the absolute shit that’s going on… Honestly, it’s an illegal livestream. That’s what gets the job done there.”

The production required an extensive talent search for its eight central livestream contestants, contrasting sharply with It Ends, which Ullom cast largely through Instagram. Ullom credited casting director Kim Winther, whose credits include Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, with securing the ensemble.

“It was a massive casting process — shout out Kim Winther,” Ullom said. “But I actually really bonded with every single one of these people in this cast, and I’m very grateful for them to take a shot on a smaller movie with me.”

4 X 4: The Event has not yet set a release date. It Ends arrives in theaters on August 21.

Source: Polygon