Andrew Robinson
Netflix released The End of the F***ing World last month, just months after its initial release on the British Channel 4 network.
*Minor spoilers may follow
Summary
TEOTFW, which is based on the graphic novel by Charles S. Forsman, stars Alex Lawther (most known for his portrayal of Kenny in the deeply disturbing episode of Black Mirror, titled “Shut Up and Dance”) and Jessica Barden (Hanna, The Lobster). Lawther plays James, a 17-year-old who believes he is a psychopath, and is itching to notch his first kill. Barden plays Alyssa, a 17-year-old who has trouble with authority, namely her parents. The two meet in school and form an unusual relationship, soon finding themselves spending more and more time together.
Analysis
Contrary to what may be believed after reading the description, The End of the F***ing World is a comedy. A dark, sometimes disturbing comedy, yes, but a comedy nonetheless.
Sitting at just over 20 minutes an episode, with a total of eight episodes, TEOTFW is entirely binge-able and, once one gets into the show, it’s hard to stop watching. Lawther and Barden are brilliant together; they clearly have a lot of chemistry, and put forth genuine, lovable, pitiable performances – something that is hard to do, considering the characters that they are playing. Both are hilarious in their own ways – Lawther as a teenage boy that reacts to seemingly everything in peculiar ways, and Barden as a teenage girl that is most definitely not lacking in the attitude and sarcasm departments.
The writing for TEOTFW is nothing short of fantastic. I have not read the graphic novel that the television show is based on, so I don’t know how far off-source the writers went, but I do know that the writing on the television show is outstanding. It would have been very easy to make James and/or Alyssa unlikable considering their shortcomings, but TEOTFW does a great job at making the viewer feel for the characters, despite their predilection for self-destructive, heinous behavior.
The cinematography is, at times, breathtaking. To highlight one scene in particular is nearly impossible, but the final scene of the season (and, possibly, the series) comes to mind – I don’t want to spoil anything, but you’ll know it when you see it.
As for that ending, TEOTFW does conclude on a fairly definitive note, which makes its renewal a mere possibility, rather than a certainty (which it likely would be with a different ending, considering its critical and commercial success since being released on Netflix). If I had to guess, I’d say it will be brought back for a second season, solely because of its success but, even if it is not, the ending is definitive enough to keep most viewers at bay.
Final Notes
Despite being a comedy, TEOTFW is not for the faint of heart. It does include a few scenes of considerable violence, and the dialogue can, at times, be quite disturbing. It can also be profane, maybe even to a fault (looking at you, Alyssa), but I cannot think of anything story-wise that I vehemently disagree with, nor anything that I would change or cut outright. TEOTFW is a hilarious, yet dark, comedy that suits the needs of many different television watchers, including some elements of romance, drama, horror (though not much), violence, and, of course, humor.
On that note, however, it’s definitely not for the kids. I’d say 17+.
Verdict
I greatly enjoyed The End of the F***ing World, and would love to see it come back for a second season. Lawther and Barden are flat-out fantastic in their respective roles – I cannot imagine any other actors taking their spots. Dark elements are certainly present, but the humor does a good job at offsetting even the most horrific moments. Writing characters with extreme character flaws to be likable is quite difficult, but the writers of the show and, I’m sure, the source material, do a wonderful job at achieving that difficult-to-attain goal. The cinematography is great, and the supporting acting performances (including Gemma Whelan – Yara Greyjoy on Game of Thrones) are solid.
If I were to critique anything, maybe I would have cut a few of the scenes with Eunice Noon – a police detective played by Whelan- and her partner, Teri Darego (Wunmi Mosaku) in favor of more scenes with James and Alyssa, but even these scenes never seem tedious.
The End of the F***ing World features erratic, yet lovable characters in James and Alyssa (aided massively by outstanding performances from Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden), a storyline that never comes off as ridiculous, despite its sometimes-outlandish happenings, and just the right amount of romance, drama, violence, and humor to satisfy most any appropriately-aged viewer.
9/10
