The World’s End

The Worlds End

The World’s End is a 2013 science fiction comedy directed by Edgar Wright and written by Edgar Wright and Simon fake. The film stars Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Paddy Considine, Martin Freeman, Eddie Marsan and Rosamund Pike. If the film follows five friends to discover that there is an alien invasion in their old hometown during a pub crawl. What starts out as a typical sci-fi comedy however becomes a look upon the meaning of humanity through the lens of a fascinating character study of its protagonist Gary King (Simon Pegg).

The film starts out with a retelling of Gary’s past with him and his friends trying and failing to take on the Golden mile the local town pub crawl challenge. If the opening sequence to the film showcases a theme throughout directing a good rise work being the reincorporation of elements through omens of Dean as within this five-minute introduction, we are giving a synopsis of the entire film to come. In the montage sequence that follows it shows everybody going about their day-to-day lives within the film. This sequence showcases at the sides and Gary the rest of the characters and indeed the world have moved on, Gary is a man out of time and there is shown the opening sequence in him getting ready he is ritualistically preparing for his suicide mission in conquering  The Golden Mile. Gary goes to see Peter (Eddie Marson) first because he knows he will be the easiest to convince. As a weak nerdy charge Peter seemed to cling on to Gary as he was the cool kid and is now all these years later it seems as if to some extent the dynamics still hasn’t changed is he still willing to follow Gary into battle. He then goes to see Stephen (Paddy Considine) as him and Gary were both considered the cool kids at school. However even has the mantra of the second coolest kid creating a friction between is shown throughout the film ended apparent with Oliver’s sister Sam (Rosamund Pike) who Stephen still lapsed. If we Gary goes to see Oliver (he says this is about closure which is very true, Gary wants to relive the moment he fulled his life. So that he can find happiness again. Oliver (Martin Freeman), Gary and his sister also have a dynamic of another with Oliver’s prim and proper businessman persona contrasting with Gary as well it is protectiveness of his sister. Last but not least Gary goes to see Andy (Nick Frost). These two men have a fractured relationship future events in the past causing Andy to present Gary which is to be revealed later on. The film comment on how people change and evolve and how your youth is something you can never truly get back. This is made apparent with Andy remembering the bad times due to his fractured relationship with both Gary and his wife which paid key elements to later on in the film. If Eddie’s last name night they would suggest Andy is the closest and most devoted to Gary whose last name is king. It showcases the idea of leadership within the film and we all said and done they will follow him anywhere. Here we also the results to emotional blackmail by paying Andy back the money he owed and telling him that his mum died is revealed later on that she didn’t, showcases the moral ambiguity of the character as Gary is neither betrayed as a good or bad guy but more a human with his own flaws and problems.

Despite their mistrust the old gang reunites as highlighted by Oliver saying “what we always do follow Gary King into almost certain oblivion”. The film thinks the image of an old gang getting back together for one last job or even the commander leading his troops for one last mission. As they wait for Gary with Peter saying “maybe he had an accident” illustrating a fractured relationship between Gary Mandy, Gary turns up in the exact same car he had originally. This further shows that he is stuck in the past unable to move on as it was the last time, he was happy as life did not end up the way he thought it would. Gary stating the idea of the five musketeers and 2 dying both foreshadows the events yet to come in the film further showcases Gary’s mind being stuck in the past, it is further shown with Gary still listening to cassette Steve gave him. The rest of Gary’s friends had become adults with actual lives whilst Gary in many ways is still a teenager as all the successful individuals highlight the fact that he is ultimately a loser. This is further showcased by his car being registered under Peter’s name and Gary still having the original pub map as he very much still lives in the past. The first post being the pub name and the start of their adventure, showcases the way that old English pubs all look the same and factory made a theme that comes back later on in the film. As they have to drink is a beer called Crown and Glory very fitting for someone called Gary King, Andy and Gary clash over Andy being teetotal, foreshadowing the greater issue between the two which you showcased later on in the film, with Gary’s phrase “let’s booboo” taken from each sign is teacher’s class film further advocates Gary King is a character that only lives in the past.

The Old Familiar the second public characters go to is called as such due to the interior looking the same as the first post further highlighting the assimilation by the blanks. The unfamiliar also gets its name from Sam, a little sister and an old flame of both Gary and Stephen. Sam is a character plays an important role in Stephen’s lark is a character who is always been second best to Gary and is still in love with Max as his arc revolves around the idea of wishing he had done things differently and not wanting to be second best anymore. As the film further showcases the emotional manipulation for Gary in getting Andy to come along with the supposed death of his mum, the film shows Gary trying to have sex with Sam in a public toilet only to get slapped. The film further shows Gary pining for a time though longer exists, he’s a forgotten soul in the world that has left him behind. The next pub at The Famous Cock is called as such due to Gary being barred from their so he drinks three leftover points outside the pub.

In the next pub they ran into Shane Dawkins a guy who used to bully Peter now doesn’t even recognise him. This is a somewhat sad moment that adds depth to the character of Peter which is instantly interrupted by Gary getting shots to which Andy becomes enraged by telling him how he’s messed up in the head and that he should grow up. Gary is a character so the focused on his youth and revelling in the glory of the past as nothing can stop him in for carrying out his suicide mission.

Gary believes himself to be free as a coping mechanism from the fact that his life is a tragedy. In the fight scene that happens in the toilets Gary finds out that the people have been turned into blanks, robotlike creatures that are slowly taking over humanity. Before and after the fight scene Andy’s only concern is that Gary lied to him showcasing the world’s end is as much about the personal relationships of the characters as it is that the essence of humanity. The fact that as Gary has no one to call as all the others try and contact their loved ones showcases a lot about the character, as Gary still wants to continue. In the cross hands there is a human and blank interaction with Gary holding up his money with a blue hand showing that they have fought with the blanks to finish the girls are now as he exchanges the money from beer showcasing the characters must work with the enemy. It is in this scene that Gary sees what they are doing is drinking for Dutch courage giving them superstrength but, they are just numbing the sense of impending doom both for Gary and humanity.

In the trusty servant pub Gary meets The Reverend Green (his own personal trusty servant), explains what is going on. He explains that the blanks are not robots as robots are slaves and they aren’t slaves they are happy and content in their lives making models of the best humans so that they can be assimilated into something better helping humanity to achieve its potential. With the pub named the two-headed dog named because the twins attack Gary, they decide to call their antagonists blanks due to them being some of the creations sucking at the heart of humanity. In the disabled toilets Gary tells Sam the truth and get slapped is due to his past no one trusts Gary even when he tries to do the right thing. It is only when Gary fights them revealing their true nature Sam believes him, it is in this moment that Steve confessed his love set showcasing himself as better than Gary and moving himself out of his shadow.

In The Mermaid the blanks are teenagers acting like sirens to lure them in. As this is going on Basil drags Stephen away to explain to him how the town ended up like this. He explained that the blanks arrived on June 22, 1994 via what they thought was a shooting star but was in reality a UFO. From this they began their simulation of mankind in taking over society and the higher-ups making people better so that mankind can join them in their intergalactic world making them part of the system. If you say yes to this you fine but if you say no you are replaced with a blank model of yourself and become an empty. In The Beehive history repeats itself as Mr Shepherd the teacher talks to them as if they were his students stating that the blanks operate in the same way and that it is all about working in harmony however as the film shows this comes at the price of our humanity. His name Mr Shepherd is appropriate as the herder of his lost children being the main characters that of the film and treats them like sheep to try and guide them to a place of understanding.

With the reveal of Oliver being a blank a fight scene is shown like a beehive. This fight scene showcases humanity rebelling against the assimilation of man into the machine, as they try and persuade them to join the universal whole as are unsuccessful. The Worlds End about the rejection of a singular hole in favour of the individual. In Gary sending Sam away shows that he does truly care for people and is not a bad person as Sam points out. However, as Sam also points out he is not there yet as The Worlds End is about moving on and letting go from what your past. Form a brighter future as your past is not define you. As they will go to the smokehouse history again repeats itself. They argue over Gary sending Sam away and when he explains that he was trying to do something right to change this scene clearly highlights the fact that deep down inside Gary knows he is a loser and is to some extent the bag life. From this day each other old wounds to prove that the human. This scene showcases the literal idea of the scars of the past as a dive into their humanity as through Gary’s selective memory heating prior existence is seen through the lens of nostalgia.

This is taken to a new level as the scene explains why Andy has a problem with Gary. One-night Gary overdosed, and Andy drove him to the hospital crashing his car in the process. Then it turned out Gary had not overdosed and ran away from the crime scene leaving early to get arrested after life-saving surgery. Gary not wanting to show them in time relates to him attempting suicide and how The Worlds End was his suicide mission. Peter takes his revenge out of the blanks by smashing up Shane Dawkins only to be assimilated by the machine, as shown throughout the film history repeats itself as a must leave him. The King’s head is the name of the pub suggests shows Gary playing himself upright like the owner as a toast to his fallen comrades. It is in that moment that the leaders are sized to sacrifice himself for his troops, giving Andy the car keys and rain away as he must complete his mission. Andy chases after him showing the true camaraderie of his friends who despite everything seemed to truly care for one another. Stephen then drives a car through the wall hence the name The Hole in the Wall as Gary shouts Andy to get in the car as he does not want his friends to die but he must carry out his task.

With Andy punching his way and ringing out of the stomach of the brunette marmalade sandwich blank girl the scene symbolises him regain his humanity. Gary and Andy then fight in The Worlds End, baring their souls to one another. Andy’s wife left him, and he is trying to win her back highlighting the fact that this is what makes us human as shown by the symbolism of the wedding ring shown throughout the film. In Gary’s case however the golden mile is the only thing he has. In the fight scene we are showing that Gary has an armband around his wrist from a psychiatric hospital, he mentioned the idea that he has attempted suicide hence why he didn’t want to show his arms in the previous scene. He states that he tried to get help but can stand as they were all just reflections of himself as all Gary ever wanted to do was to have a good time. He hates the idea of himself no longer being in control and after that night everything went downhill his life. He is a loser and that in completing the golden mile he can either find a meaning to his existence will kill himself once he has completed his task.

Through a secret lever they enter down to find a secret base of the blanks and the network that controls them. The network explains that humans are converted simulants to be peaceful as they will not have to participate in their galactic community, so they create better human beings giving them eternal youth. In Gary ripping the head of his younger blank self and kicking its head away he rejects the simulation of a greater system in favour of humanities free will. The way the next work addresses him from “Gary King, of the humans” to “Gary, King of the humans”, showcases the characters role in trying to save humanity as he is becoming a true king fighting against an enemy in order to save his people acting as a redemption for the character. The film showcases that the network has no right to do what they do. Despite the network claimed to have exhilarating humanity through technology and people like Gary are dangerous, carrying Andy argue that humans are not perfect by nature and they have no right to be our overlords. Humanity is a self-destructive. By nature but it is also in a nature to learn from these experiences and grow for ourselves as stated by Gary “hey it’s our basic human rights to be fuck ups this civilisation was founded on fuck ups and you know what that makes me proud”. Gary quotes the problem of “to err is human” as it is human nature to make mistakes which comes into play at the end of the film. It showcases the hypocrisy of the network as they are the fine rights are unable to forgive. With Steven joining the film reinforces its Three Musketeers idea referenced at the beginning of filth. By replacing almost an entire town the characters highlight the hypocrisy of the network’s actions as their plan is very much an invasion. The people that are replaced are mulched up and used as fertiliser, this greater good philosophy further showcases their hypocrisy. As Andy points out we “are more biliterate more stubborn and more idiotic than you can possibly imagine”, highlighting humanities stubborn nature to survive and forge their own path. Gary’s proclamation “there’s more than one Gary King” showcases that all of humanity wants to be an individual and not just another cog in a system. When Steven says “stop fucking Starbucking us” it showcases that they want the human race to become more than just another soulless entity and have their own individuality. Gary’s line “we are the human race and we don’t like being told what to do”, perfectly sums up this theme of individuality and freedom expressed throughout the film. With Gary quoting from the Primal Scream song Loaded used at the begging of the film, itself taking the quote from the film The Wild Angels it shows how the human race love freedom more than anything else and will fight to the death to keep it from dying out under a system of oppression. The network ultimately sees the stubbornness in humanity and its desire to uphold its individuality and leaves. Due to the system going down a electromagnetic pulse occurs as the characters ran away to safety. In the app on the same hill as they did the first time they started this request Gary simply states I’m sorry. For the first time Gary emits his wrongdoings and learns from his mistakes showcasing that now he sees himself as a person who needs to try and do better, as they send the world back to the dark ages hence the title of both the final pub and the film The Worlds End.

If the film then flashes forward to a post-apocalyptic world revealing that the whole film was Andy telling the story to a group of survivors about how the world ended. If on the wall behind Andy Gary’s quotes “to err is human to forgive divine is written on the walls like Scripture. Humanity will always make mistakes, but it is in full slant to forgive others for the actions they have taken in order to build a better world. Whilst most of humanity showcases violence towards the blanks, in some respects all of the characters have transcended the human one way or another to the divine via forgiveness. The closing sequence fulfils all of the characters arcs in some meaningful way and have all in some way shape or form transcended in human into the divine through forgiveness, with Andy being back with his wife and not minding that he has to eat organic food, Oliver regaining his old life by going back to being an estate agent, Peter also regaining his old life by picking up where the last one left off and Stephen and Sam being a couple.

Gary, however, has found a new reading for live as the leader of the youthful blank versions of his old friends. He has found a reason to live beyond the drinking and carries out his dream of being the leader of a group of soldiers on a quest and doing battle. As the pub name “the rising Sun” indicates Gary is readable ready to start a brand-new quest by forgiving the blanks as a venture of on their new Quest. Throughout the film Gary can be seen as a Christ like figure with elements of his character mirroring that of Jesus. Garry was put on the earth with the sole mission of completing the golden mile as Jesus was put on earth to spread the word of god, Jesus gathered disciples to help him spread the word of god like Garry gathered his old friends up to complete the pub crawl, in the end Jesus sacrificed himself for humanity. Garry scarified humanity for its own betterment with the idea of self sacrifice coming into play very much with his character during this sequence. Jesus was resurrected and ascended into the heavens, whilst Garry and the end of the film symbolises a rebirth for the character.

 More than any other character he has transcended the human into the divine, forgiving the blanks now having the teenage versions of his childhood friends as his new band of disciples, Gary now teetotal in this the film by trying to order 5 pints of water and when he can’t be served he starts a fight branding assault was as he says “they call me the King”. Gary is now a truly aching his new quest in life of having a good time without alcohol and dishing out justice to people who want to harm the blanks.

The world’s end is a film about letting go and confronting the demons of the past. It is a precautionary tale of being trapped in an ideology and the dangers such a mindset can bring. However, the film offers a positive message in that humanity can ultimately change and that if we try the humans can do better.