From Twisters to It Ends With Us: Where Has All the Kissing Gone in Hollywood?

Twisters

The “No-Kissing” movie ending came to be in the limelight with the release of the thriller Twisters, starring Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, and Anthony Ramos. Some iconic moments of this movie include a riveting storm-chasing plot throughout Tornado Alley of Oklahoma, an original soundtrack album featuring top country artists like Luke Combs and Lainey Wilson, and of course, a captivating chemistry between Powell and Edgar-Jones.

If you haven’t seen the movie, maybe “Cowboy Glen Powell” is all the convincing you need to go see it. Twisters took the box office by storm, drawing interest as a stand-alone sequel to the OG Twisters (1966), and talk about having spectacular visual effects. From the box office to the internet, Twisters has been going viral because of one more aspect: Powell and Edgar-Jones do not kiss at the end of the movie—in fact, they don’t kiss at all during the entire film. As the leaked scene continues to permeate TikTok (along with “Glenergy”), we know producers even filmed an alternative ending scene with the airport kiss that everybody expected but ultimately decided to forego. 

In an interview with Collider, the cast discussed the movie’s “no-kissing” ending. Edgar-Jones said, “I think it stops the film feeling too clichéd, I think there’s something really wonderful about it feeling like there’s a continuation. This isn’t the end of their story. They’re united by their shared passion for something.” So Edgar-Jones is team #NoKiss.

Cowboy Glen added, “This movie is not about them finding love, it’s about returning Kate to the thing that she loves, which is storm chasing.” Powell then described the alternative ending as, “unrepresentative of the right goal.” Maybe Powell was just trying to shut down the rumors that he is a bad kisser, but that’s a story for another day. The stars do, however, confirm that this particular ending was largely a result of Steven Spielberg’s advice and his weight as such a reputational filmmaker. 

It’s kind of hard to believe, but many fans have a bone to pick with executive producer, Steven Spielberg and the director of the film, Lee Isaac Chung, because they are firm believers of H.P.K., Hot People Kissing. Yes, there is no argument that we all would have loved to see these gorgeous people lock lips on the big screen, and I thought they would have kissed you know, after literally saving the entire state of Oklahoma.

However, I am also on team #NoKiss, because at the end of the day, I believe the No-Kissing movie ending is subtly empowering. It is essentially proposing to the audience that maybe it’s time for romance to take a back seat for a little while, and be a great complementary feature but not the end-all-be-all feature. The last thing I will say about Twisters is thank goodness the film did not cut Cowboy Glen’s wet white t-shirt scene. 

It Ends With Us

The adaptation of Colleen Hoovers’ book, It Ends With Us was easily one of the most anticipated movies of the summer. However many fans scrutinized the difference between scenes in the film and their portrayal in the book.

One of the biggest differences was the ending. In Hoover’s novel, the ending confirms that Lily has romantically returned to be with Atlas. Atlas kisses Lily’s heart tattoo, a symbol of their younger love, and a replication of a wooden heart that he carved for her when they were kids, and whispers to her, “We finally reached the shore.” 

In the movie, Lily and Atlas run into each other at a farmer’s market and disclose they aren’t romantically involved with anyone. The viewers can see that their love for one another has never dulled, and it’s a love so rich and so beautiful despite all of the horror that has surrounded it. Lily and Atlas do not kiss in the end, and their present-day selves do not kiss at any point in the movie. 

With It Ends With Us, I think fans weren’t necessarily angry with the reality they didn’t kiss in the end. Their chemistry throughout the movie was not an I-want-to-rip-your-clothes-off type of chemistry, it was a chemistry with history, unresolved feelings, and the idea of home being a person. Fans instead, were confused by the no-kiss ending, because they were left wondering if Lily chose Atlas, or if she chose herself. In reality, I think Lily chose both. She chose Atlas, she chose her daughter, and she chose herself. 

Director and star of the film Justin Baldoni, explained in an interview with Deadline why he felt the “No-Kissing” movie ending was necessary. “One of the first things [film writer Christy Hall] said was that, to truly make a truly make a feminist film, we can’t have [Lily] end up with [Atlas] at the end of this movie.” This ending lacks a smooch because ultimately, while the relationship of Lily and Atlas is a huge component of the story, Lily’s story isn’t about her journey back to Atlas.

Her story is a cautionary tale about domestic violence and having the courage to break the cycle of abuse. As a member of the hopeless romantic club, I believe this ending completes Lily’s story without taking away her newfound independence and her success as her own person,  while also allowing viewers to stay faithful to fate and know in our hearts that Atlas and Lily will be together if they were supposed to be together. As per Baldoni, “Maybe they were just meant to be together this whole time.” 

The Union

On the outside, Netflix’s The Union may seem like your typical action film: A man enjoying his small town simple life, a blast from the past, a tranquilizer, a high-stakes covert mission, a briefcase containing an exorbitant amount of money, car chases in unrealistic vehicles, and the good guy who finally gets his girl. All of that happens in The Union, except star Mark Wahlberg never locks lips with co-star Halle Berry. I guess kissing is no longer in style for this fall… this should be interesting.  

Joining Chung and Baldoni on the #NoKiss team, director Julian Farino explains his strategy behind the No-Kissing ending in an interview with Variety, Farino’s explanation is quite simple, stating, “[Netflix said] You have to think of this as a possible three-movie idea.” So according to Netflix, Farino has dubbed his film a success because viewers are itching for that kiss. Farino and his crew are essentially pointing out that a kiss-ending would be the “end all, be all” to a film that has great potential to continue its storyline. Who wouldn’t love to see Berry sand surf better than Wahlberg in Marrakesh?

One is an accident, two is a coincidence, and three is a pattern

This season’s movies are offering tickets and a bag of delayed gratification. From changing the narrative to focusing on the bigger picture to luring people in with intrigue, there are plenty of reasons. I think the no-kissing movie ending is bigger. I think it’s trying to tell Gen Z, our generation of tomorrow, that we shouldn’t place so much importance on romance.

Romance will always find its way into the conversation, but it does not always have to be the main character. The no-kissing movie scene depicts a shift in society currently happening where we are placing less emphasis on boyfriends, love, sex, and kissing in exchange for independence, contentment, mystery, and discovery. Plus, absence does make the heart grow fonder.