The World’s End

And they’re back…but for how much longer? That is the question, as the trio responsible for Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz return, this time as the unwitting possible saviours of mankind, due to an impending apocalypse.

The World’s End is based around a quintet of guys reliving an unfinished pub crawl from 20 years earlier.  They descend upon Newton Haven led by Gary “The King” (Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz), and attempt to regenerate the friendships of their youth.  However, the small, sleepy town doesn’t look ready for the carnage Gary and his friends Oliver (Martin Freeman, The Hobbit), Andrew (Nick Frost, Hot Fuzz), Peter (Eddie Marsan, Sherlock Holmes) and Steven (Paddy Considine, The Bourne Ultimatum) intend to inflict upon it, and after a “few” beers, shots and a tap water, the men really begin to feel something is awry. 

Quite literally following Gary towards the End of the World (the final, previously unreachable public house), things begin to turn blue for the men.  Now, mostly grown up with careers and their own families, the reluctant friends begin to realise that finishing their pub crawl is turning into a bit of a life or death situation. The total “obliteration” they had hoped for might be a little too close for comfort.

Sporting goth-inspired attire, Pegg certainly goes hell for leather as Gary; his unrelenting dedication to his onscreen character is as usual commendable and truly entertaining.  His sidekicks are slightly more questionable and seem only to act as dampeners – except for Marsan as Peter, who has a couple of side-splitting moments that (to his credit) were unexpected and therefore a nice surprise.

Directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), who is no stranger to the Pegg/Frost duo, The World’s End is an amalgam of aberration and annihilation, teaming the serious with the delirious to create something mysterious – and overall a huge amount of fun!

It won’t be for everyone, but for fans of the team’s previous work it will go down a treat. It is after all promoted as being the final of the “Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy” (watch out for a reference in the final film sequence). Tasty.

Jennifer Atkinson

The World’s End is released nationwide on 19^th July 2013.

Watch the trailer for The World’s End here: