Director: Edgar Wright
Cast: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, Rosamund Pike
Screenplay: Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright
109 mins. Rated R for pervasive language including sexual references.
I would say that a lot of people had high hopes for the concluding film of The Blood & Ice Cream Trilogy (beginning with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, sometimes called The Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy) and in that way, I think people walked out of The World’s End feeling as though it didn’t stand up with its brothers in the world of hilarity. They would be wrong. The World’s End, much like its predecessors, takes warming up and multiple viewings to truly appreciate. As of today, I have enjoyed it more and more through the several times I have viewed it, and I will show you why later.
The World’s End is the name of a pub. The final pub of a legendary pub crawl that, years ago, Gary King (Simon Pegg, Shaun of the Dead, Mission: Impossible 5) and his friends attempted to complete. The night did not go as planned, and ever since, King has been stuck in a version of his teen years, but now, Gary is ready to give it another go, and to do that, he needs the help of his friends. All but Andy Knightley (Nick Frost, Cuban Fury, Hot Fuzz) are convinced fairly quickly that this could be a fun bit of nostalgia for the boys, but Andy has other memories of that night and the following years. As the friends begin to attempt “The Golden Mile” a second time, strange occurrences lead them to a realization. The small town of Newton Haven is being overrun by aliens.
The World’s End features Pegg’s best performance to date. When originally reading the synopsis, I was shocked to read the role reversal for Pegg and Frost, as usually Pegg would have been the hard-ass of the group and Frost would have played King. Not only does this reversal feel fresh, but Simon Pegg dials in a performance that is equal parts extremely comedic and painfully sad. Nick Frost also controls his controlling character Andy. Also in this film, we get a lot more comradery in the friendships they share with Steven Prince (Paddy Considine, The Bourne Ultimatum, The Double), Oliver Chamberlain (Martin Freeman, TV’s Sherlock, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey) and Peter Page (Eddie Marsan, Sherlock Holmes, God’s Pocket). There is also solid work from Rosamund Pike (Pride & Prejudice, Gone Girl) as Oliver’s sister and Steven’s love interest Sam. The entire cast masters their respective roles and the relationships between them are both complex and relatable. It is a story of bygone friendships, the past coming back to you, and trust, and the film becomes much more personal in that way.
Director Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) handles the piece very well, offering us sweeping visuals and dazzling fight scenes (I just love the bathroom brawl). He treats this film, like his previous work in The Blood & Ice Cream Trilogy, as though they were of the genre he is parodying. The music of the film has a very 1980’s feel to it, from the songs to the score, it is an older electric mood, very befitting of the science fiction tale.
The costumes here as well are gorgeously put together, especially Gary’s, who has been wearing the same getup for over 20 years.
Now, I said I would mention some of the interesting background humor. First of all, pay close attention to the titles of the bars, as each one offers some laugh-out-loud hilarity. Notice as well, the background parking lots which contain an awfully staggering amount of the exact same vehicle (I looked it up, apparently it is a Vauxhall Ampera, an electric car, also funny). Now it is true that there isn’t as much callback in the dialogue as is fare in these films, but the callbacks are different. Wright and Pegg’s screenplay has emotional callbacks.
The World’s End is a hard-hitting comedic gem that will gain appreciation with age, and it contains some of the finest performances of its very funny cast, including the best work from Simon Pegg yet. This film stays with you and gets better with each viewing. Start your callback with this one. Highly recommended.
4/5
-Kyle A. Goethe
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