I am such a sucker for quirky dramedies. You should know this about me, because it definitely colors my perception of Seeking a Friend for the End of the World. I’m certain a lot of people would despise this flick, but to me it’s brilliant.
It starts with an intriguing concept: what would happen if we knew the world was going to end in a few weeks’ time? Would people still do their jobs? Would they stay in their current relationships? Would previously stable, responsible adults start doing heavy drugs and having orgies? Seeking a Friend answers these questions with a healthy balance of humor and gravity, realness and absurdity. Cameos from Patton Oswald, TJ Miller and Gillian Jacobs are the comedic highlights of the film. Steve Carell and Keira Knightly also turn in respectable performances, which work to sell the audience on their budding friendship. They make for a rather charming pair of dysfunctional characters.
Overall, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is a sweet vignette of a movie, which managed the balancing act of the dramedy surprisingly well while simultaneously delivering a unique perspective on the human capacity to face the end of the world. B+
