The End of the F***ing World
2017
Original language: English
- comedy
- drama
- crime
The story
James is 17 and is pretty sure he is a psychopath. Alyssa, also 17, is the cool and moody new girl at school. The pair make a connection and she persuades him to embark on a darkly comedic road trip in search of her real father.
What it’s like
Flat, washed-out English seaside and motorway light, with overcast skies, drab bedrooms and grey service stations, broken up by sudden bursts of saturated colour. The camera sits close and steady on two teenagers who rarely look at each other while they talk, and the deadpan voiceover does much of the emotional work, its matter-of-fact tone turning the grimmest moments into awkward comedy. The score and soundtrack lean on jittery indie guitar and quiet, unsettled stretches that make the silences feel heavy. Its mood is bleakly funny and melancholy, with a restless, rebellious pulse that suits a lazy weekend binge or a late evening when you want something sharp and strange. Pacing is brisk in short episodes, and the emotional arc follows two lonely, damaged kids slowly and reluctantly reaching for each other. Violence is sudden, brief and abrupt, with some bloody moments and an unsparing edge; sexual content and strong language are frequent. Not gentle. For viewers who like dark comedy, teen outsiders and odd-couple road movies with a sour bite.
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