Why I Love The End of the F***ing World
Hi!
A few months ago I saw the trailer for The End Of The F***ing World - and instantly knew it was a show I’d love. Since then the show has been majorly hyped, and for good reason. The plot follows two unconventional seventeen year olds bored with their home lives as they end up on a road trip to find Alyssa’s absent father - along with all the twists and turns that happen along the way.
The first thing that attracted me to the show was actor Alex Lawther who plays the main character of James, I’ve loved since his performance as Young Alan Turing in The Imitation Game in 2014, for which he won Young British Performer of the Year in 2015 - since then his career gone from strength to strength with films X+Y and Freak Show. Despite only being 22, he gives a mature, deadpan performance throughout the series with the addition of lots of character signatures that made for a very interesting performance, getting you more and more invested in the character as the series went on; Alex is definitely a young performer to keep your eye out for.
The show also features Jessica Barden who plays female lead Alyssa. Despite her having an extensive back catalogue as a former Coronation Street regular as well as featuring in films such as Far From The Madding Crowd, this is the first time I've seen her perform, and she again portrayed the outwardly cocky character really well, intertwining the subtleness of how scared the character is really well into her performance.
The show also features an interracial lesbian couple, played by Gemma Whelan and Wunmi Mosaku, who are both portrayed in a way in which their sexuality isn't made out to be a huge deal, instead just a detail of the character - something that should be a norm, but was instead a refreshing surprise, and a step forward in the representation of LGBT characters.
A few months ago I saw the trailer for The End Of The F***ing World - and instantly knew it was a show I’d love. Since then the show has been majorly hyped, and for good reason. The plot follows two unconventional seventeen year olds bored with their home lives as they end up on a road trip to find Alyssa’s absent father - along with all the twists and turns that happen along the way.
The first thing that attracted me to the show was actor Alex Lawther who plays the main character of James, I’ve loved since his performance as Young Alan Turing in The Imitation Game in 2014, for which he won Young British Performer of the Year in 2015 - since then his career gone from strength to strength with films X+Y and Freak Show. Despite only being 22, he gives a mature, deadpan performance throughout the series with the addition of lots of character signatures that made for a very interesting performance, getting you more and more invested in the character as the series went on; Alex is definitely a young performer to keep your eye out for.
The show also features Jessica Barden who plays female lead Alyssa. Despite her having an extensive back catalogue as a former Coronation Street regular as well as featuring in films such as Far From The Madding Crowd, this is the first time I've seen her perform, and she again portrayed the outwardly cocky character really well, intertwining the subtleness of how scared the character is really well into her performance.
The show also features an interracial lesbian couple, played by Gemma Whelan and Wunmi Mosaku, who are both portrayed in a way in which their sexuality isn't made out to be a huge deal, instead just a detail of the character - something that should be a norm, but was instead a refreshing surprise, and a step forward in the representation of LGBT characters.
From the first episode I fell in love with how the episode had been shot. The show has applied a 'less is more' approach to filmmaking, with all the shots being really simple but well thought out - they're aesthetically pleasing without being overcrowded, giving each episode the feel of a short film. There's a collection of really clever two-shots that feature throughout the episodes that were a really nice way to feature all the characters without being too formulaic.
The series was both written and directed by Jonathan Entwistle - comparable to Dunkirk, there isn't actually very much dialogue in the episodes, instead we are shown the characters thoughts through a mix of the choice of shot and what features in them, as well as a balance of voiceover work and thought tracking to show the contrast between what the characters present to the outside world and to each other versus what is actually going on in their heads.
In summary, The End of the F***ing World is a great example of British filmmaking, and if you’re looking for a new show to binge watch (with eight half-hour episodes it shouldn’t take you long) I’d give this one a watch.
Best Wishes
Mel
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