The World's End (2013)

The World’s End: Directed by Edgar Wright. With Thomas Law, Zachary Bailess, Jasper Levine, James Tarpey. Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from twenty years earlier unwittingly become humanity’s only hope for survival.

“Five pre-middle-aged male friends are drawn to Newton Haven, the site of their failed dozen-pub crawl as students in 1990. Theyu0026#39;re led by Gary King (Simon Pegg). Heu0026#39;s the one who couldnu0026#39;t move on from that night; couldnu0026#39;t get a job like them, or get married like them. Reluctant revelry and bad-tempered banter ensues, before the gang discovers that the residents of the town have changed. That is, they have BEEN changed…u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Worldu0026#39;s End is considerably better than the ostensibly similar This Is The End, a super-indulgent American comedy which mistook f-bombs for humour and name-dropping for satire. Edgar Wrightu0026#39;s film is indulgent also, but at the service of audience enjoyment, as opposed to the enjoyment of the players. The script is surprisingly dense and intricate, many of its jokes arriving bittersweet. In an era when so many comedies are heavily (and lazily) improvised, itu0026#39;s refreshing to watch a tightly woven story unfold for once.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe action scenes are given equal attention, lovingly choreographed like some kind of slapstick dance. Chief pugilist is Andrew, our sort-of-hero, played by Nick Frost with remarkable agility. This instalment is far less bloodthirsty than its predecessors – more Scott Pilgrim than Shaun.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe rest of the group is made up of Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, and Martin Freeman. The performances are all top-drawer, although it takes time for their individual personalities to emerge. But then, the fact that they are now practically indistinguishable may be the point – for all their disapproval of Gary, they are the ones playing it safe.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eWhatu0026#39;s most impressive about The Worldu0026#39;s End is the fact that itu0026#39;s actually about something. Nostalgia is easy to indulge but difficult to deconstruct, but this film genuinely aspires to explore the idea of selective memory – as with a bad hangover, our memories tends to return in subjective spasms, and the truth is only accessible by gathering multiple witnesses. And the truth isnu0026#39;t always what it cracked up to be.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Worldu0026#39;s End is, for me, the best of the u0026quot;Cornetto Trilogyu0026quot;. Highly recommended.”