The newest (and potentially the first?), gritty, dark humoured, teenage coming of age show to grace Netflix, The End of the F***ing World explores the lives of James, a 17-year-old who believes he’s a psychopath, and Alyssa, a rule-breaking, dominating classmate who sees James as a way to escape a rocky home life.
Set in modern-day England, the show walks the line between fantasy and cold, harsh realism, with a huge reality check hitting the characters as well as the viewers, halfway through the series.
Although set in present day, the director purposely wanted the show to appear as if it could be set in any time and it does edge towards a more old-fashioned feel. The only real reminder of the time setting of the show is the smartphones used by the characters.
Another interesting and also slightly critical thing to note about the style of The End… is the fact that although it was filmed in England and is set in England, it really does look like the show could have been set in America. The houses, the school, and even the streets they walk upon appear very, very American, and makes it feels untrue to being an English show.
Although this was most likely done to appeal more to American audiences, it comes across that the director focused too much on this aspect and also means viewers will have an unrealistic idea of what England is like.
With each episode only being 20 minutes long, this show is a very easy binge watch with a gripping storyline and a clever, dark but also humorous script.
Made up of 8 episodes, the series ends on a slight cliff-hanger and it’s up to the viewers to make their own decisions on what’s happened, however, it also cleverly leaves room for a potential second series.
Watch The End of the F***ing World now on Netflix.
Words by Elly Bailey.
Images: Channel 4, Netflix