Netflix's I'm Thinking Of Ending Things Ending EXPLAINED
6. The Aspect Ratio
One of the first things that viewers are likely to notice about Kaufman’s newest film is its aspect ratio. Unlike most modern films, I’m Thinking Of Ending Things is presented in a 1.33:1 (or 4:3) aspect ratio. Also referred to as Academy Aperture, this was the standard aspect ratio of Hollywood films until the late 1950s and is much narrower than what modern audiences will be used to seeing on the big screen.
Like everything else in this film, this presentation is certainly a deliberate choice by the filmmaker. In the case of this film, the aspect ratio could be interpreted in a few ways.
On one hand, by using the same presentation as an classic Hollywood movie, this can be understood as a subtle way of showing that these events are all in the janitor's head, a romanticised fantasy in the style of Oklahoma!, which gets a handful of references.
Similarly, it can also be argued that this narrow presentation gives the narrative a claustrophobic sensation that reflects the anxiety the woman feels throughout the film.
Whichever theory you believe, the aspect ratio is yet another way in which Kaufman cleverly uses the language of cinema to tell this story.