BY DEVON COLLINS
Includes spoilers
The only time you will ever find yourself feeling heartbroken for a teenage killer is after watching the Netflix original series The End of the F***ing World.
This twisted comedy was released to Canadian Netflix Jan. 5 and proves that teenage love is untypical and has no boundaries.
James (Alex Lather) is a 17-year-old self-proclaimed serial killer with a plan: he must find a subject and murder them. When he meets high-school peer Alyssa (Jessica Barden), he decides that she is his perfect target. James decides that he will get closer to her by winning her affection and when the time is right, he will be ready to kill.
Alyssa quickly falls for James despite his social quirks and his lack of interest in her. Though Alyssa seems to have problems of her own, feeling invisible to her mother and step father, and having anger issues. When things get overwhelming at home, she propositions James to run away with her.
In a stolen four-door car, the two set out as fugitives on an adventure with one common goal: to discover who they really are.
As the days go by and the circumstances get more intense, they realize that they might be in over their heads. They unknowingly break into the home of a rapist, Dr. Clive Koch (Johnathan Aris), and Alyssa becomes his prey.
To keep Alyssa from being assaulted, James stabs Dr. Clive Koch to death. After vomiting at the sight of the blood, he realizes that he loves Alyssa and that he is in fact not destined to be a murderer.
James and Alyssa clean up as if they were never there, and leave to find Alyssa’s father, who she has not seen since she was a child, because he might be able to help them.
After spending a few days at a trailer park with Alyssa’s father, a reward is broadcasted on television for anyone who turns them in. When Alyssa’s father sees this, he quickly betrays both his daughter and James.
The show ends with a sacrifice of James’ freedom for Alyssa’s. James is certain that he is not a sociopath, but it might be The End of the F***ing World for him.
This series is seriously a worthy binge. Once you press play, you will likely be watching until Netflix asks if you are still there.
Initially, we are intrigued by the unconventionality of the characters James and Alyssa, but by the end of the series we find ourselves oddly relating to them. This is a key component of what makes this show so interesting to watch. No matter what stage of life you are in, you are able to find a character that is relatable to you.
The main characters come across as very intense. They have intentions of committing gruesome crimes and running away from their teenage lives. After the season progresses, the exterior layers of each character are broken down to expose their vulnerabilities, which everyone can relate to.
One of the series’ strong suits is the incredible acting. Without the commitment to each characters role, I do not think that the show would have the same effect on the audience. This factor accompanied with the visualization and camera work, truly makes this a strong piece.
The plot is wild right off the bat. Two normal kids are placed into unusual circumstances and the way that the story is told through gory flash forwards and calming scenery makes it instantly captivating.
By being completely out of the box and unlike any other Netflix original series yet, this show defies society’s typical way of addressing problems that most teenagers struggle with.
With a well-deserved IMDb rating of 8.3, the show became one of the Top 25 shows to look our for on Netflix this year.
