The World's End (2013) Review

After creating the exceptionally popular films Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, Pegg and Wright’s third film, The World’s End, is often overshadowed. Often, this film is considered unworthy of the critical acclaim bestowed upon its predecessors. Some consider the protagonist, Gary King (Pegg), to be utterly irritating, and also argue that the humour is too dependent on repetition to satisfy an audience. However, despite these minor complaints, this film proves to be a fascinating exploration of nostalgia caused by a disillusionment of the present through Gary’s character. Despite the repetition of some jokes, this superbly directed film does have hilarious moments that showcase the best of British comedy. For some, this is an underrated masterpiece that deserves all, if not more, of the praise that has been showered on its predecessors.

"Don't need it!" 

Initially, the presentation of Gary King could be considered irritating, overblown and too chaotic for an audience to engage in his character arc. He is portrayed with a juvenile wildness and hedonism as he seeks a “fucking mental!” night-out with his friends. He tells Andy (Frost) that they are “going back on a Friday” because the only thing he values is the indulgence of pleasure and fun. Through the use of Primal Scream’s Loaded, we as an audience get the full impression that this character only wants “to have a good time”. This emphasis on Gary’s disorderly nature is repeated throughout the film; thus, some may argue that this presentation is extremely exaggerated, making Gary’s character annoying and tiresome. However, on a much deeper reading, it is clear Gary proves to be an endearing character we can feel great sympathy for. Whilst he could be interpreted as a hedonistic character, his most defining characteristic is his longing for the past. In a similar manner to the eponymous protagonist of Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Gary is a character utterly trapped and imprisoned in the glorious past, refusing to “join society”. His clothing, his tape recordings and his car all suggest that he is a man stuck in 1990. Even the movie soundtrack of 90s music emphasises this character’s overpowering nostalgia. Wright and Pegg create a lot of sympathy for Gary’s character when we realise his happy memories of the past are “all I’ve got!” He is portrayed as utterly disillusioned with the present day as he realises “life would never feel this good again”; the “promise” of his youth has disappointed him greatly. In a time when the protest vote has shaken British politics to its core, and when reality TV is so appealing to the masses, is Gary not a character we can all sympathise with? We all suffer disillusionment with this bleak period in time, thus making Gary such an endearing and relatable character.

"I'm free to do what I want any old time"

Nevertheless, some audiences may still label The World’s End a poor-quality film because of the humour, arguing that a few of the jokes fall flat. The recurring gag of having every member of the cast exclaim “what the fuck?” was not particularly funny when Oliver (Freeman) first said it. Despite the varying tones in which this phrase is uttered, it struggles to evoke laughter from the audience throughout the film. Furthermore, many elements of humour in this movie feel tired and cliche. Wright and Pegg repeat the ‘falling off the fence’ gag that they used in the other two movies, and it feels exhausted in this film. The cliched drinking jokes (such as “Dr Ink” and “we will in truth be blind- drunk!”) have been so overused in the past that they cease to be funny in the film. Thus, some may argue that The World’s End lacks the charming humour which made the first two films as popular as they are. However, the dynamic between Frost and Pegg proves to be a plentiful source of comedy; in fact, this is the most comic pair of characters the two actors have ever played. Much of the humour of the film lies in the presentation of Andy and Gary’s relationship as being akin to that of a parent and child. Andy consistently holds Gary to account for his actions as Andy tries to control his former friend. When running towards the eponymous ‘World’s End’ pub, Andy calls for Gary to “get back you stupid bastard!”, and is utterly disgusted to discover that Gary lied about his mother’s death: “your Mum just rang, and not from the afterlife: from fucking Bournemouth!” Gary, too, is perturbed by Andy’s maturity; he is shocked to see a “man of your legendary prowess drinking fucking rain” rather than the alcohol consumed in their youth. This dynamic of two friends almost living in two different time zones leads to some of the best comedy in both of their careers. As these two friends battle to change the other, we as an audience are treated to hilarious pieces of dialogue between the two.

"I fucking hate this town!"

The greatest aspect of this masterpiece is certainly Wright’s outstanding direction. His skills are subtle and masterful as he uses a multitude of different types of shot to create meaning, humour and tension. For example, he chooses to open the film with a montage of clips from the main character’s past, voiced over by the Gary King of the future. Whilst this montage is significant for foreshadowing the future events of the plot, creating interest for the audience over what is to come, it has a much greater significance in developing Gary’s character. By using clips of the younger version of Gary as the older version narrates immediately connotes that his character has not moved on from “the best night of my life”. Wright’s superb directorial command is also used to create tension as the action unfolds. Whether he is using an aerial shot to capture the stylised violence of the fight with the twins, or a sequence shot to emphasise the chaotic carnage of Andy’s fury in the bar brawl- “I fucking hate this town!”- Wright’s direction is always excellent. You will struggle to resist the appealing visuals and the directorial charm of what Wright has crafted for the screen. It certainly attractive to the eye. The choreography of the fight scenes is much tighter in this film than in any of his other works, and his skill is magnificently used to develop the character of his protagonist. The direction of the film is masterfully crafted, and really develops the entertaining cinematic experience.

Whilst some of the humour feels dry, cliched and repetitive, this film still proves to be utterly hilarious through the comic chemistry between Pegg and Frost in their performances. The comedy is utterly superb- Wright and Pegg are working at their best. Moreover, the writer-director pairing find much greater success in their carefully constructed characterisation of Gary King. Despite being portrayed as irritating and annoying in the opening scenes of the film, they add a great deal of depth to his character, thus making him a lot more relatable and endearing by the end of the film. However, the greatest achievement of The World’s End is certainly in its wonderful visual parade of different shots. It makes the stylised violence and carnage of the fight scenes visually glorious, and even subtly adds to the characterisation of the protagonist. This impressively directed film achieves a lot of humour and complex characterisation in its short running time. It is a worthy masterpiece of British cinema to follow up Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, as well as serving as the perfect conclusion to the self-titled Cornetto trilogy.