The World's End
20 years after attempting an epic pub crawl, five childhood friends reunite when one of them becomes hell bent on trying the drinking marathon again. They are convinced to stage an encore by mate Gary King, a 40-year old man trapped at the cigarette end of his teens, who drags his reluctant pals to their home town and once again attempts to reach the fabled pub, The World's End. As they attempt to reconcile the past and present, they realize the real struggle is for the future, not just theirs but humankind's. Reaching The World's End is the least of their worries.
Despite a moderate budget of $20.0M, The World's End became a commercial success, earning $46.1M worldwide—a 131% return.
4 wins & 28 nominations
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The World's End (2013) exhibits deliberately positioned narrative architecture, characteristic of Edgar Wright's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 49 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 4.0, the film takes an unconventional approach to traditional narrative frameworks.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Gary King in a support group, reminiscing about the greatest night of his life - June 22nd, 1990, when he and his friends attempted the Golden Mile pub crawl. He's stuck in the past, unemployed, friendless, living in denial about his failures.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The First Threshold at 23 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 21% of the runtime. This demonstrates the protagonist's commitment to In the pub bathroom, Gary gets into a fight with a teenager who turns out to be a robot (a "blank"). The teenager's head comes off, revealing blue ink-blood. Gary realizes something is terribly wrong, but chooses to keep it secret and continue the crawl - an active decision to enter the "new world" of the conspiracy., moving from reaction to action.
The Collapse moment at 70 minutes (64% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Andy confronts Gary about the drunk driving accident that was actually a suicide attempt. Gary's facade completely crumbles - his entire identity is revealed as a desperate attempt to recapture the one moment he felt alive. The "whiff of death" is Gary's past suicide attempt and his metaphorical death of self-awareness., reveals the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 75 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 69% of the runtime. Gary's argument causes the Network to abandon Earth in disgust, triggering an electromagnetic pulse that destroys all technology. Civilization collapses into a post-apocalyptic state. The friends escape and separate. The finale resolves both the alien invasion and Gary's personal journey., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The World's End's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs proven narrative structure principles that track dramatic progression. By mapping The World's End against these established plot points, we can identify how Edgar Wright utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The World's End within the action genre.
Edgar Wright's Structural Approach
Among the 7 Edgar Wright films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 5.4, showcasing experimental approaches to narrative form. The World's End takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Edgar Wright filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Edgar Wright analyses, see Last Night in Soho, Baby Driver and A Fistful of Fingers.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Gary King in a support group, reminiscing about the greatest night of his life - June 22nd, 1990, when he and his friends attempted the Golden Mile pub crawl. He's stuck in the past, unemployed, friendless, living in denial about his failures.
Theme
Steven tells Gary: "We're not sixteen anymore." The theme of maturity vs. perpetual adolescence, letting go of the past, and genuine growth is established through this dismissal of Gary's plan.
Worldbuilding
Gary tracks down his old friends: Peter (now a car salesman), Oliver (corporate executive), Steven (architect), and Andy (lawyer). All have moved on with their lives. Gary lies to each of them, claiming the others agreed to the pub crawl, manipulating them into joining him for one more attempt at the Golden Mile in Newton Haven.
Resistance
The group arrives in Newton Haven and begins the pub crawl. They debate whether this is a good idea. Andy hasn't forgiven Gary for a drunk driving accident. They notice the town has changed - it's eerily corporate and sanitized. Gary pushes forward despite growing resistance from the others.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
In the pub bathroom, Gary gets into a fight with a teenager who turns out to be a robot (a "blank"). The teenager's head comes off, revealing blue ink-blood. Gary realizes something is terribly wrong, but chooses to keep it secret and continue the crawl - an active decision to enter the "new world" of the conspiracy.
Premise
The promise of the premise: the friends fight robots while trying to complete the pub crawl without raising suspicion. Elaborate fight scenes in pubs, paranoia about who is human, attempting to act normal while surrounded by blanks. The fun of watching them navigate this absurd situation while maintaining the pub crawl.
Opposition
The blanks close in. The friends are attacked more frequently. Peter is replaced by a blank. They encounter their old friends and teachers, all replaced. Gary's selfishness and addiction become clear - he cares more about finishing the crawl than anyone's safety. The group fractures under pressure.
Collapse
Andy confronts Gary about the drunk driving accident that was actually a suicide attempt. Gary's facade completely crumbles - his entire identity is revealed as a desperate attempt to recapture the one moment he felt alive. The "whiff of death" is Gary's past suicide attempt and his metaphorical death of self-awareness.
Crisis
The dark night: Andy forgives Gary. The group reconciles, united in genuine friendship for the first time. They make it to The World's End pub together, not for the crawl, but for each other. Gary processes his own brokenness.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Gary's argument causes the Network to abandon Earth in disgust, triggering an electromagnetic pulse that destroys all technology. Civilization collapses into a post-apocalyptic state. The friends escape and separate. The finale resolves both the alien invasion and Gary's personal journey.