REVIEW: The End of the F***ing World

The series follows James (Alex Lawther), a 17-year-old boy who's pretty sure he's a psychopath, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), a 17-year-old girl who is brash, blunt, and hates life in the suburban south of England more than anything. Having already killed many animals, James decides he is ready for his first human kill. When Alyssa shows up in his life, at first it seems like the perfect opportunity--but when she asks him to run away with her to escape the confines of both of their dismal home lives, things become a lot more complicated.

Based on the graphic novels by Charles Forsman, The End of the F***ing World is a darkly funny take on the anger and isolation of adolescence, and two extremely interesting and complex characters who find comfort in each other in the midst of it all. It is fairly impossible to not watch all 8 episodes at once--you fall in love with James and Alyssa almost immediately. In a wild turn of events, their story hits its unexpected climax fairly early on, and the rest of the series deals with the aftermath of those events (but the pace of the show doesn't slow down one bit). However, the relationship of the two main characters and their individual development is what lies at the centre of it all, and it is captivating to watch them and anticipate what they'll do next.

The show is extremely well-directed, well-shot, and the performances by Lawther and Barden are outstanding. Both James and Alyssa are characters often presented with a lot of internal conflict, and even at times the audience isn't made aware of what the characters are thinking, it isn't too hard to guess. The balance of drama and comedy is maintained steadily throughout, and in this way, the show is never overbearing with too-heavy storylines nor made ridiculous with the inserting of blatant jokes--in fact, much of the humour is simply found in the mannerisms of the characters themselves. Much like the rest of the show, they are the ultimate foundation.

I'm not too certain whether a second season is the plan for the show's producers, or if it is being kept as a possibility on the basis of the show's popularity (as has been the case of late with many other programs of similar style). The finale's ending seemed pretty finite to me, and it is set up in the fashion of a limited series, so I don't think this is the case. And although I'd prefer it not to be the case, I'd keep watching it anyways, since I'm sure a second season would be of just as much quality as the first.

I hope this honest, biting show gets its deserved recognition. As bizarre and nonconforming James and Alyssa may be, it's almost impossible to not feel some sort of connection to them. They may be the ones experiencing the most disconnect from society, yet their unfiltered vulnerability makes them the most present of all.