My couch and I are engaged in a love affair. I’ve mentioned that before, right? If I haven’t, well, I’m here to say it loud and proud: I love my couch. We’re rather intimate. It knows the shape of my ass better than my physician, it has been with me on sick days, it’s seen me cry, it doesn’t care if I’m in my pjs, and it doesn’t complain if I get crumbs everywhere. That’s one hell of a love story. We’re bonded. Part of how we positively bond: binge watching new shows. And while this isn’t a movie for the weekend, you should be watching The End of the Fucking World. Based off a graphic novel of the same name, it’s the story of James (Alex Lawther), a teenage boy with psychopathic tendencies, who teams up with a troubled girl named Alyssa (Jessica Barden). Here are five reasons to watch it this weekend.

 

 

#1 – Alex Lawther and Jessica Barden

I’m telling you right now, watch out for these two. Lawther’s excellent in everything I’ve seen him in, which is rare in the age where we’re force-fed some half-assed pretty people as actors. Lawther is the real deal. Maggie Smith thinks highly of his work. That’s saying something. What he brings to the role of James is nothing short of mesmerizing: he’s quiet, but planning; determined yet flexible; scared yet confident. He takes someone who could easily be a one-note character and makes James multifaceted in a way that you can’t tear your eyes off of him. Ditto for Barden – just as easily, she could have been a monotonous pissy teenager who bases the role around rolling her eyes. Instead, we get moments of teenage infallibility mixed in with the vulnerability of someone who is still very much a scared child. She strikes such a sweet spot, and she is given the chance to carry the story on her own a few times, despite that she’s not the main narrator. Separately, they’re fantastic; together, they have a ton of chemistry. I loved watching them together. It’s like lightning in a bottle.

 

#2 – The soundtrack

DUDE. Raise your hand if you love Blur. I got into them when I was a teenager. Now, given, living in America, they didn’t really get recognized until “Song 2,” which meant that for the kid buying The Great Escape and Parklife back in the heyday of Oasis, I got some weird looks; they hadn’t fully hit yet, but if you had your ears pricked up, you knew about them. (Sidenote: I feel like a snobbish twat right now for saying that.) Point is, if Blur rings a bell, you’ve already heard of Graham Coxon, their (now former) guitarist. He composed the soundtrack. Jesus this soundtrack is so good. It’s jaunty and full of emotion. I’m immediately a teenager in the 90s listening to Coxon playing again. It’s available on Spotify, so if you need some extra bounce in your step, head on over and give it a listen. It won’t disappoint.

 

 

#3 – It’s bitingly funny

Alyssa and James are a riot. Alyssa has just given away the last fuck she had in her bag, and James is just hoping for the chance to act on his homicidal impulses. The result is a duo that’s inept and honest to the point of being scathing but veering into cool territory. Alyssa is every bit the lack of mind-to-mouth filter that we wish we could get away with in the real world. Alyssa is goals, people. And James going along with her shenanigans makes it all the better, because he’s the quiet bystander that just brushes off her outrageousness with the least amount of discomfort he can muster. I dare you not to laugh.

 

#4 – You want to hug these kids

Without spoiling anything, there are moments of realizing how truly screwed up these kids are. And the thing is, they truly are moments: they don’t last that long. And they leave a lasting scar. That’s the beauty of this show – the parents left behind when they start their adventure aren’t a massive role, but when they’re around, they are a HUGE punch. It makes me want to hold them both close and tell them that they have a home where they’ll be loved and listened to. How a show this funny manages to make you feel so sorry for two royally screwed up, imperfect people is a testament to the writing of Charlie Covell. Never once do you want to slap them; these aren’t unlikable nihilists in the vein of Bojack Horseman or Girls. You’re on their side, even if they mess up, even if they’re nasty, even if they whine. That’s a testament to a good writer right there.

 

 

#5 – You’ll plow right through

This show consists of 8 (roughly) 20-minute episodes. You’ll be through it within a few hours. It’s way more enjoyable than some movies that long. I’m looking at you, Troy, but more on that next week. It’s a good binge watch, though I will give you fair warning: you’ll be excited and anxious for the next season.

 

 

The End of the Fucking World is streaming on Netflix.