“Weekend at the End of the World” follows life-long friends Miles and Karl, who find themselves with an opportunity to get rich and turn their lives around. One thing is standing in their way… the end of the world.
Very quickly, “Weekend at the End of the World” experiments with different genres. Primarily, it’s a buddy comedy, watching two friends partake in everyday shenanigans. They talk about their love lives, drink and imagine a future full of riches. This takes up the first fourth of the 81-minute runtime. The film has a semi-slow start because of this, as it shows patience in establishing their relationship and personalities. That’s not all, though, as there’s also a creepy house alongside vibrant pink and purple lights. This is where the sci-fi (and even horror) elements begin to come in.
This tonal shifting can be jarring at first. One second, characters are making fart jokes, the next they’re face-to-face with a demon and then they’re stepping into a portal. Eventually, the scatterbrained approach grows more organized. Rather than switching genres from scene to scene, “Weekend at the End of the World” allows them to seamlessly fluctuate. Comedy, sci-fi and horror are present at all times — just some more than others.
“Weekend at the End of the World” may have been made for under $300,000, but it’s not ashamed to put all of its visual effects in the forefront. There are portals. There are demonic entities. There are floating objects. Some of the characters themselves even have distinct practical makeup on display. On top of serving as co-writer and director, Gille Klabin executed the VFX. Rather than going for a hyper-realistic look, Klabin chooses more of a surrealist aesthetic. The effects are never “perfect,” but they don’t really need to be. These over-the-top, exaggerated additions actually fit in with the movie’s overall tone. Director of photography Aaron Grasso is also a part of this. There’s duality in his approach, with simplistic camerawork inside the cabin versus extra movement outside. In addition to this is the lighting, with alternative colors accenting the visuals.
This is unabashedly a B-movie. On top of the campy CGI is the story itself. “Weekend at the End of the World” isn’t overly focused on the “why.” Instead, audiences can just feel comfortable sitting back and enjoying the ride. While many films get stuck on exposition and lore, Klabin chooses to brush past this. This allows the already-short runtime to fly by.
The lack of seriousness can work against the film at times, however. Some absurd scenarios occur here, but based on the characters alone, you probably couldn’t tell. They treat each new obstacle as a joke, which leaves the story without any dramatic undertone. There are supposedly “world-saving” stakes, yet there isn’t much tension surrounding them. This leaves the movie in a satirical loop, never growing into anything more impactful.
As a comedy, “Weekend at the End of the World” is a mixed bag. It’s not just the occasional humorous insert, as characters continuously fire off a barrage of jokes. If you’re like me, you’ll be able to appreciate some of the juvenile (“Dumb and Dumber”-esque) humor. If that’s not your preferred style of comedy, then you may be in for a bumpy ride.
“Weekend at the End of the World” does attempt to have a deeper meaning in its conclusion. Friendship is at the core of the story, but it also examines the individuality of life. In the film, some of the characters are labeled as “alone” or “humiliated.” We each have our own life experiences, but that doesn’t make any one individual’s life any less worth living. Some of the darker tones don’t balance with the movie’s overt lightheartedness, but the messaging lands nonetheless.
Cameron Fife (Miles) and Clay Elliott (Karl) star. Fife plays a “go with the flow” persona well, always remaining a charismatic presence no matter what is happening around him. Elliott portrays a very different character, one who is down-on-his-luck and stressed. With Fife’s enthusiastic energy and Elliott’s anxious delivery, the duo bounces off each other well.
Also appearing are Thomas Lennon (Hank) and Troian Bellisario (Meemaw). Lennon is given nowhere near enough screen time, but he always chews up the scenery. He doesn’t even deliver many lines, but it’s his physical performance that sells the character. Bellisario may just be the most versatile of the bunch. She switches between soft-spoken and diabolical, bringing dual personalities to Meemaw.
“Weekend at the End of the World” is a cosmic voyage into self-acceptance. The film is occasionally too cheesy for its own good, but remains an entertaining indie experiment.
Rating: 3 out of 5
