It's the end of the world for James and Alyssa in Jonathan Entwistle's adaptation of the American comic series End Of The F***ing World by Charles Forsman. With 16 episodes all under 25 minutes, the 2 season series can be watched in under 7 hours. With so little time, End Of The F***king World wastes none of it. Each episode is jam-packed and is so entertaining that the episodes will fly by. It is a dark comedy masterpiece.
End Of The F***king World is about a 17-year-old boy named James who claims to be incapable of feeling anything. He thinks he is a psychopath because he kills animals as a hobby. When he grows tired of killing small animals, he decides he is going to kill something bigger. New girl, Alyssa, enters the chat, and she is full of her own personal life problems.
Alyssa decides that she wants to break away from societal normalities and run away from her neglectful mother and creepy step-dad. She asks James to come with her, and he agrees only so he can have an easier chance of killing her. But along the journey, Alyssa and James learn what it means to have someone important to them. In this case, they have each other. After Alyssa and James perform some Bonnie and Clyde shenanigans, they get caught up in some real trouble. James realizes after killing an actual human that he might not be a psychopath after all. After a shootout with police forces, James comes to the end of the world. At least until season 2, that is.
Alyssa and James are clearly inspired by another famous duo. Bonnie and Clyde were American criminals in the early 1930s that were glamorized in the media because of their youth, romance, and cigar-smoking gun-wielding photographs. Although being a criminal is not something to admire, it's hard not to love Alyssa and James as a couple. The chemistry between the two actors is palpable. Despite being opposites personality-wise, Jame and Alyssa have a lot in common, especially when it comes to traumatic childhoods. Their similarities bring them together and their differences keep things interesting.
The banter in this show is absolutely hilarious. It's also quite charming, and the narrative structure feels well incorporated instead of taking the viewer out of what's happening. There are so many memorable quotes in End Of The F***ing World, and it will keep people laughing and crying till the last episode. In addition to the witty dialogue, the soundtrack goes so well with the themes. The music adds so much to the experience of watching this series.
Season 1 of End Of The F***king World feels complete on its own. James goes from not feeling anything, to actually caring about people. He even copes with the death of his mother and allows himself to grieve. And the ending is very fitting for the title of the show. But, like the showrunner said, if season 1 is about running away, then having a season 2 about coming home is in order. That's what makes the two seasons work so well with each other. Season 2 isn't trying to recreate what it already did, but is instead creating its own premise. Its focus on showing the characters healing themselves is a nice way to wrap up this tale.
The reason this show works so well is that it has an intriguing plot with stunning cinematography. The scene where James saves Alyssa from the serial killer and his blood spills out into a heart shape around him perfectly highlights James and Alyssa's tragic romance. The film's use of inserts make the characters feel even more edgy and badass than they already are. And the frames where they are side by side have a very powerful and aesthetically pleasing composition. They truly are star crossed lovers in sort of a modern and messed up way.
This show is fast-paced and packs in a lot of information in each episode. But it never feels convoluted or messy. It's simple and tells its story well. The characters are likable but not in a typical way. Though some of the crimes James and Alyssa commit are glamorized, even the characters realize they have done things that will require a punishment. The teenaged angst is strong with this one, but it never feels unrealistic or eye-roll worthy. It is definitely worth a second watch because so much of why the characters are the way they are is explained and makes more sense upon another viewing. If anything, a rewatch for the one-liners is worth it.
To a teenager, everything can feel like the end of the world. But as James and Alyssa put it, the only true end of the world is death. This show tells the modern tale of growing up, rebelling, and trying to understand the world around. Its message of learning to lean on people who are good for each other in order to help through difficult times is positive and worth listening to. And instead of keeping things bottled up, it can be good to talk about them so they don't seem like the End Of The F***king World.