The World’s End

The World’s End is a fun, British romp about beer and robots. So already hats a pretty good premise, but as Edgar Wright is wont to do, as a bonus we also get great characters, sharp humour, and just a dab of social commentary.

In World’s End, Gary gets his high school buddies together for a drinking reunion. The only problem is that they’ve moved on with their lives and left him behind. With the cast involved, this plot alone would have been enough to tide me over. But when I saw the alien/robot things in the trailer, I was a little disappointed that they would be taking it down that more ludicrous route. But actually, it works.

Just as Shaun of the Dead used zombies to symbolize society’s complacency, so robots are used here to shine a spotlight on conformity. They are actually pretty similar movies in that way, but just different enough to provide a unique experience for both. This is mostly because of the characters. Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are both excellent as Gary and Andy, two friends with a falling out; one with a partying problem, the other who has become more responsible. Their dynamic works well. The supporting cast is also very interesting.

The World’s End is a great entry (once again) in Edgar Wright’s filmography, and sits especially well beside his other Pegg-Frost films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. Its not on Shaun’s level, but I might put it a tick above Hot Fuzz. The ending is a little odd mind you. It works thematically and really pushes the social commentary to the point of assigning blame for the world’s conformity issues. But as a sequence, it doesn’t entirely work. Still, it doesn’t lessen the enjoyment of the film overall.
8/10