Netflix recently launched a new young adult series titled The End of the F***ing World, based on the graphic novel by Charles Forsman. The series follows two teenagers, James and Alyssa, played by Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden, who run away from their respective families in order to find a better life.
The End of the F***ing World can be characterized as a heartfelt dark comedy, in which James—a young man with extreme murderous and psychopathic tendencies, plans to kill Alyssa, a classmate with a rebellious attitude and passion for the more extreme side of life. However, The End of the F***ing World does not follow this laid out horror movie path: it instead tells a heartfelt young love story rooted in both character’s unconventional desires and behaviors.
For those reasons, The End of the F***ing World has been one of Netflix’s most talked about shows in 2018, even though it has only been on the streaming service since January 5th. In the era of shows like Stranger Things and Riverdale, which also explore young rebellion, themes of love, and unnatural circumstances, The End of the F***ing World is also on track to becoming a huge hit among young adults just a few weeks into the new year.
The things that make The End of the F***ing World and shows like it so appealing can be found in the youthful elements of the show’s production. The script reads from both characters perspectives, including their comical internal monologues so the audience feels a connection with James and Alyssa. Additionally, many shots of the show are balanced and centered, giving a simplistic feeling to the cinematography that allows a viewer to become wrapped up within the characters and their juvenile, yet deeply romantic love story. Watching the two make severe mistakes and rebel against their normal lives projects an unpopular feeling of freedom that many shows struggle to capture—yet The End of the F***ing World does just that.
Interweaving the elements of a dark comedy with a young love story makes the show fresh, unconventional, and easy to get lost in—and with only eight 22 minute episodes, you might just end up watching the whole thing tonight.
Watch the trailer here:
Sources: IMDB, The End of the F***ing World on Netflix
Photo Sources Courtesy of Netflix
