Well, what else are you going to say three weeks before the end of the world? Marking the directorial debut of Lorene Scafaria, screenwriter of Nick And Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World aims to be a darker, more adult variant on her tried-and-tested quirky road-trip romance. And it starts off so promisingly, featuring Craigslist ads for assassins and hedonistic parties of suburbanites resolving to finally try heroin, have an orgy, or, eh, “get round to taking that pottery class.”
But depressed insurance salesman Dodge (Steve Carell), has only one thing on his mind – finding the one who got away, so he doesn’t have to die alone. When he becomes embroiled with Keira Knightly’s flakey hipster Penny, plans – as ever – go awry.
The strength of Scafaria’s film lies in both the absurd and emotional reactions to the impending apocalypse. From Patton Oswalt’s inhibition-free sexual exploits to violent riots and Dodge’s dutiful return to work, no response seems appropriate and all are bizarrely funny. Meanwhile, Knightly’s tearful phone-calls to her family back home in England are wonderfully moving, filled with unspoken regrets and false promises of seeing them again.
However, the film is based on the chemistry between Carell and Knightly, and it simply isn’t plausible. As unlikely Armageddon buddies they make a nice platonic pair, but romantically they simply don’t gel. By trying to force a by-the-book romance, Scafaria’s plot falls horribly flat, rendering the final ‘Love The One You’re With’ message both uninspiring and unsatisfying.
Though the resolution is a brave one and nicely handled, ultimately Seeking A Friend... ends not with a bang, but with a fizzle.