Blake Lively is at her most persuasive when the confidence slips and she lets us see the effort beneath it. Her quieter acting deserves more attention than the clothes, particularly in It Ends with Us.
Fi1m perspective
At the lectern in It Ends with Us (2024), Blake Lively's Lily Bloom cannot find five things she loved about her father. There is no music, and she has no speech to offer. We were moved by her silence, by the time she spends waiting for a feeling that will not come. Elsewhere, Lily is quick with a joke at her own expense, but Lively lets that brightness disappear when nobody is looking. She is a persuasive actor when a film gives those small changes room, and this one too often gets in her way.
The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) brought the breakthrough, and Serena van der Woodsen in Gossip Girl (2007–2012) made her a star. Supporting thriller roles followed, including Krista Coughlin in Ben Affleck's The Town (2010). We recommend that film for its clear action and strong cast, with reservations about the indulgence shown to its central bank robber. Leads in The Age of Adaline (2015), The Shallows (2016) and A Simple Favor (2018) widened the opportunities. The physical commitment of The Shallows and comic timing of A Simple Favor are useful correctives to casting her chiefly for glamour.
In Justin Baldoni's It Ends with Us, however, the styling repeatedly competes with her performance. Costume designer Eric Daman gives her layered denim, print dresses and hats that draw the eye away from her face during difficult scenes. Cinematographer Barry Peterson keeps Boston in the same warm haze, while production designer Russell Barnes makes Lily's flower shop look like the set of an advert. Lively makes Lily's cheerful manner seem like something she has to work at; the soft light and elaborate outfits make it harder to attend to that work.
Isabela Ferrer, playing the teenage Lily, offers better support by matching Lively's voice and posture closely enough to make the changes between them convincing. Lively also produced the film, and has sought more say over writing, costumes and storytelling. For her next dramatic lead, we would welcome a film that trusts her to hold our attention without quite so much help from the wardrobe.
Biography
Blake Lively is an American actor. Born Blake Ellender Brown on 25 August 1987 in Los Angeles, California, she is the daughter of actor and director Ernie Lively. She made her screen debut in his film Sandman (1998) and gained early notice for her role in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (2005) and its 2008 sequel.
Lively achieved wider recognition for portraying Serena van der Woodsen in the television series Gossip Girl (2007–2012). Her film credits include The Town (2010), Green Lantern (2011), The Age of Adaline (2015), The Shallows (2016), Café Society (2016), A Simple Favor (2018) and its 2025 sequel, Deadpool & Wolverine (2024) and It Ends with Us (2024), in which she played Lily Bloom. She has also produced and directed music videos.
