Imagine proposing to the love of your life, only for it not to turn out as you expected. The humiliation is one thing, but having that disaster streamed online is another level of humiliation. For Karl (Clay Elliott), this is only the beginning of a bad day for himself and his best friend Miles (Cameron Fife), in the comedy/horror movie, Weekend at the End of the World.

The dynamic between the two leads in the beginning feels reminiscent of Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn in Swingers. In these minutes, we learn a lot about the two characters, their history, and the inventiveness of Miles. With Miles, there is a solution for everything. While Karl, seems to wallow in the sadness around him and feels like his world is ending because of a failed proposal to Jessica (Sujata Day).

Get Rich or Save the World

In trying to cheer up Karl, Miles is driving him to his grandmother’s house in order to flip it. A long the way, Miles tells stories about things he would do wiht his grandma and the annoying neighbor Hank (Thomas Lennon). We meet Hank when the two pull up to the house and he offered them his famous “eggs”.

The story starts to take place once the two enter the house. Karl learns about Miles’ grandfather dying inside the house that he built with the grandmother. Inside we see strange shadows and a purple glowing light that only adds to the mystery of the home. The two start drinking and while reading from cards are slowly opening a portal to another dimension.

What’s with the Purple Light?

Inside the portal the two must perform a task given to them by Miles’ grandmother in order to stop the end of the world. It seems silly of first what happens in this dimension is pretty interesting. The friendship of the two is tested and their relationship to Hank is also tested. Not to giveaway too much, but Karl learns that some things don’t feel right and maybe what they are doing is not good.

One of the standouts of the movie is Troian Bellisario who plays the grandmother. She not only has to play the loving grandmother to Miles, but also the keep of secrets as to why certain things have to happen. When we first are introduced to Grandma, her image might be a little too much and will scare you in your dreams. Yes, this image is still with me days after I have seen the movie. Troian uses her charms to get inside the heads of all three men and uses that to her advantage.

Saving the world Vs Saving friendship

The concept of friendship is one of the main focus points of the movie. Karl and Miles have been friends for years. As stated earlier, the beginning of the movie gives us an insight to their history. In attempting to save the world, the two learn more about who they are and how much they mean to each other. Here is where the heart of the movie lies. Just like in Superbad, the friendship between the two friends is the most important part of the movie. Karl and Miles are tested while inside the portal and decide what is important in order to save the world.

Final Thoughts: There are a few twists and turns that may take you by surprise inWeekend at the End of the World. The buddy comedy turned horror movie is the right time length that the premise does not become stale. Thomas Lennon is a bit underused, but the moments he is in are hilarious. WATEOTW is a fun movie that will become a classic for those that love strange and non-mainstream movies. Make sure to stay after the credits for more!

Violence: There is not a lot of insane violence in the movie. There are some uses of a fireplace poker and knife that are not PG. Language might also be an issue for some families.

Kid-Friendly: The movie is not rated, but some of the images and language might not be suitable for children under 13. While it is not scary-scary, there is an image of the grandmother that might be scary for younger kids.