Netflix just keeps raising the bar. They’re supposedly making their library 50 percent original content. I say that’s a blessing, as their original films and series tend to offer more edge and genuine originality than a whole lot of what we see at the theater nowadays.
“The End of the F***ing World” is no exception. Netflix’s new coming-of-age, dark comedy series is the very definition of the words edgy, original and especially fun.
It’s viciously funny, gleefully profane and even quite touching in many moments.
The show follows two teenagers: James (Alex Lawther), who is pretty sure he’s a psychopath and is looking for someone to kill, and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), who is mean and cool but looking for someone to love.
When the two meet, there’s an immediate connection, and James is soon convinced by Alyssa to run away from their miserable lives and go on a journey to find her real father — a journey filled with laughs, tears, violence and mystery.
There’s a lot to enjoy in this series, from the sharp writing and pitch-perfect directing to Barden’s high-energy performance. It has an ending that may frustrate some viewers due to its ambiguity, but I found it exciting and surprisingly moving.
It’s essentially the two leads, Barden and Lawther, who carry “The End of the F***ing World,” and they bring a strangely lovable charm to an otherwise dark and dangerous story.
For my money, this is one of the best originals on Netflix at the moment.