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‘The World’s End’ is a Brilliant Beer-Fueled Adventure

Nick Frost, Eddie Marsan, Simon Pegg, Paddy Conasdine, and Martin Freeman in The World's End © Focus Features Inc. All rights reserved

The World’s End © Focus Features Inc. All rights reserved

If Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg’s bar-hopping buddy flick The World’s End had a motto, it would be: In cervesia veritas. Just like the Latin expression In vino veritas, their picture is a statement about the truth-revealing power of alcohol. Except instead of imbibing wine like the ancient Romans, these five friends unwittingly find factuality by consuming beer. Delicious brew in The World’s End isn’t just a catalyst for discovering personal truths though, it also helps expose dangerous Earth-shattering secrets.

The film’s story centers on Gary King (Pegg), a drug-addled 40-year-old who has pathetically clung to the peak of his youth: a night he and his chums attempted their town’s ultimate pub crawl. Down on his luck and desperate to relive the time of his life, he cons estranged pals (Nick Frost, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan, and Paddy Consadine) into joining him for another go at all 12 bars. After arriving however, they quickly make the horrifying discovery that robots control their town. Realizing that Gary’s team is wise to them, the mechanical men soon give chase, but can these buddies survive long enough to enjoy a pint at the crawl’s final pub, The World’s End?

The World’s End is the third movie in Wright and Pegg’s Cornetto trilogy, which includes “Shaun of the Dead” and “Hot Fuzz.” Although these flicks aren’t interconnected stories, they all feature Cornetto ice cream, Pegg and Frost in main roles, gifted homage, and poignant emphasis on complex friendships. This film is no different; Pegg and Frost play pals frequently at odds and the plot pays glorious tribute to science fiction classics such as “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.” Like other Wright and Pegg pictures, “The World’s End” creates brilliant laughs from snappy banter, beautifully choreographed fight scenes, and the outrageous crisis coping mechanisms its characters.

As Gary, Pegg gives a fascinating performance, accentuated by the unusual manic energy and odd wiry strength he brings to the part. Pegg is also slippery in a way where you can never trust Gary, yet you can’t help wanting to anyway. Frost, who normally plays zanier characters, provides a pleasantly grounded portrayal of Gary’s uptight foil Andy. Freeman, Marsan, and Consadine are also a joy to watch, superbly rounding out this quirky group as the brainy smooth-operator, the timid family man, and the shy nice-guy.

Simon Pegg as Gary King in the World’s End © Focus Features Inc. All rights reserved

Although beer may be the driver for this booze-fueled adventure, it represents more than that to the characters. The substance signifies a holy grail-like, tasty moment when all is right with the world. In that way, The World’s End is an ode to drinking, emphasized by its intense shots of golden brew, entertaining pub names, and beer-themed lines like, “We’re gonna see this through to the bitter end. Or…lager end.” The film’s celebration of carefree intoxication fits perfectly with Gary’s nostalgia.

Wright and Pegg play up Gary’s wistfulness by using a stylized opening sequence and a soundtrack heavily rooted in the 1990s. Despite their amusement reflecting on the past, they are still careful to express the dangers of nostalgia through the drastic consequences of Gary’s actions. What’s slightly disappointing, is that despite their condemnation of Gary’s behavior, Wright and Pegg ultimately copout and let him off the hook. Perhaps the strangest part of movie is its darkly comedic ending, which is the only part of the film that doesn’t match the rest of the Cornetto trilogy. Still, The World’s End is a fast-paced, chuckle-filled ride so loaded with clever jokes that it’s impossible to notice everything on first viewing. Like Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, you’ll want to watch it again and again hoping to catch them all.

✭✭✭✭ 1/2 

Evan Crean: Hello! My name is Evan Crean. By day I work for a marketing agency, but by night, I’m a film critic based in Boston, MA. Since 2009, I have written hundreds of movie reviews and celebrity interviews for Starpulse.com. I have also contributed pieces to NewEnglandFilm.com and to The Independent, as a writer and editor. I maintain an active Letterboxd account too. In addition to publishing short form work, I am a co-author of the book Your ’80s Movie Guide to Better Living, which is available on CreateSpace and Amazon. The book is the first in a series of lighthearted self-help books for film fans, which distills advice from ’80s movies on how to tackle many of life’s challenges. On top of writing, I co-host and edit the weekly film podcast Spoilerpiece Theatre with two other Boston film critics. I’m a founding member and the current treasurer for the Boston Online Film Critics Association as well. This site, Reel Recon.com, is a one-stop-shop where you can find links to all of my past and present work. Have any questions or comments after checking it out? Please feel free to email me (Evan Crean) at: ecrean AT reelrecon DOT COM .

View Comments (4)

  • This sounds fantastic. I've heard that it doesn't live up to the first two parts of the Cornetto trilogy but I think this group (Pegg, Frost and Wright) just work so well together that even their lesser stuff is better than most. You're so right about not catching all the jokes and references on first viewing...in fact, I think both Shaun and Hot Fuzz get better with every viewing. Must get my first viewing of this in soon though!

    • Thanks for reading Dan! I would say it's on par with the others. Some I know have said it's their favorite of the entire trilogy. I wouldn't go that far. For me the only part that doesn't work as well is the ending of this one. You definitely need to see it soon though. Did you see that I also interviewed these guys too? They were a lot of fun and super nice. They extended my roundtable interview to ensure they answered my question. Classy guys. Here's the link if you missed it: http://www.starpulse.com/news/Evan_Crean/2013/08/22/qa_edgar_wright_simon_pegg_and_nick_fr

  • Wow...fantastic interview Evan (I've just read through the transcription you linked to above)! It must have been great to meet these Hollywood stars, especially since their body of work, both together and separately, features some of the best movies to come out of Hollywood in the last five years.

    • Thanks Dan! Glad you enjoyed reading. It was a huge honor to meet Wright, Pegg, and Frost considering how much I love their films. In real life they are super-nice, humble guys, which makes me even happier for their success.

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