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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012)

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Average Rating: 6.2/10
Reviews Counted: 154
Fresh: 84 | Rotten: 70

Tender, charming, and well-acted, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is unfortunately hamstrung by jarring tonal shifts and a disappointing final act.

Average Rating: 6.4/10
Critic Reviews: 35
Fresh: 20 | Rotten: 15

Tender, charming, and well-acted, Seeking a Friend for the End of the World is unfortunately hamstrung by jarring tonal shifts and a disappointing final act.

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Movie Info

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World stars Golden Globe Award winner Steve Carell and Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley and is the feature directorial debut of screenwriter Lorene Scafaria. Set in a too-near future, the movie explores what people will do when humanity's last days are at hand. As the respective journeys of Dodge (Mr. Carell) and Penny (Ms. Knightley) converge, the two spark to each other and their outlooks - if not the world's - brighten. -- (C) Focus

R, 1 hr. 40 min.

Comedy

Directed By: Lorene Scafaria

Written By: Lorene Scafaria

In Theaters: Jun 22, 2012 Wide

On DVD: Oct 23, 2012

Box Office:$6.6M

Focus Features

Steve Carell and Keira Knightley make for one of the most unlikely and yet one of the most touching romantic couples of the year.

June 26, 2012 Full Review Source: Richard Roeper.com

| Comments (5)

Richard Roeper

Richard Roeper.com

Top Critic

This is an exceedingly promising directorial debut for Scafaria, who adapted the winning romance Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist.

June 22, 2012 Full Review Source: Denver Post

| Comment (1)

Lisa Kennedy

Denver Post

Top Critic

The genuine sweetness of the friendship that develops between these two wins out over any of the movie's failings.

June 22, 2012 Full Review Source: The Atlantic

| Comments (8)

Ian Buckwalter

The Atlantic

Top Critic

A movie that may be, in its own small, weird way, the most bizarrely bittersweet and oddly beautiful romance you've seen in quite awhile.

June 22, 2012 Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger

| Comments (4)

Stephen Whitty

Newark Star-Ledger

Top Critic

Scafaria seems to get disoriented by her own scenario, boxing herself into an apocalypse whose initial absurdities feel so wonderfully right, but where to go from there?

June 22, 2012 Full Review Source: Globe and Mail

| Comment (1)

Rick Groen

Globe and Mail

Top Critic

It's too bad the movie chose to go so gentle into that good night.

June 22, 2012 Full Review Source: Newsday

| Comment (1)

Rafer Guzman

Newsday

Top Critic

Scafaria's brand of refreshingly sharp wit and insight will deliver for her fans but it wouldn't be the end of the world if you sought the movie out on the home video circuit.

October 2, 2012 Full Review Source: ScreenRant

| Comment

Kofi Outlaw

ScreenRant Source: ScreenRant

A heartfelt romantic-comedy that turns a predictable story into a genuinely enjoyable adventure.

September 30, 2012 Full Review Source: Fan The Fire

| Comment

Sam Bathe

Fan The Fire

Seeking a Friend is two potentially great films fused into one. Unfortunately, the two halves don't peacefully coincide...

September 27, 2012 Full Review Source:

| Comment

Adam Ross

Seeking A Friend for the End of the World is one of my favorite movies of the year; I loved every minute of it, especially any time Carell and Knightley get to share the screen and talk.

September 14, 2012 Full Review Source: We Got This Covered

| Comment

Jonathan Lack

We Got This Covered

While the idea of impending doom might suggest darker themes and a downbeat plot, this is an altogether calmer-geddon, with a muted, nuanced lead performance from Steve Carell, a cool-kid soundtrack and heartwarming overtones.

September 13, 2012 Full Review Source: TheShiznit.co.uk

| Comment

Matt Looker

TheShiznit.co.uk

Each scene plays out like a cleverly crafted vignette that gives the film a freshness and propulsion often missing from the romantic comedy genre. It also doesn't hurt to throw the looming apocalypse in there for good measure.

September 10, 2012 Full Review Source: FoxNews.com

| Comment

Justin Craig

FoxNews.com

Writer/director Lorene Scafaria moves her apocalyptic rom-com into new territory for such a formula-driven genre.

August 28, 2012 Full Review Source: 3AW

| Comment (1)

Jim Schembri

3AW

Heart and humour in the countdown to Armageddon.

August 23, 2012 Full Review Source: sbs.com.au

| Comment (1)

Don Groves

sbs.com.au

Lorene Scafaria, the screenwriter behind Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist, makes a charming directorial debut with Seeking a Friend for the End of the World.

July 15, 2012 Full Review Source: Irish Times

| Comments (2)

Tara Brady

Irish Times

"Knock knock." "Who's there?" "Armageddon". "Armageddon who?" "Armageddon tired of watching this lousy movie."

July 14, 2012 Full Review Source: Observer [UK]

| Comments (6)

Philip French

Observer [UK]

A funnier, deadly ironic ending was surely on the cards, but even without, this is a disarming, largely entertaining smattering of philosophies and worldviews.

July 14, 2012 Full Review Source: What Culture

| Comment (1)

Shaun Munro

What Culture

Scafaria makes sure that the apocalypse may be in full impact but the importance of having each other at the last moment is the lasting, comforting thought.

July 14, 2012 Full Review Source: Real.com

| Comment (1)

Lisa Giles-Keddie

Real.com

With a few surprises in store and some good music choices, this is a little gem of a film.

July 13, 2012 Full Review Source: Birmingham Mail

| Comment (1)

Roz Laws

Birmingham Mail

Brilliantly sweet and snarky.

July 13, 2012 Full Review Source: SFX Magazine

| Comment (1)

Jon Hamblin

SFX Magazine

Intelligence and subtle wit inform debut director Lorene Scafaria's heartfelt look at unlikely romance blossoming in the shadow of Earth's obliteration by a giant asteroid.

July 13, 2012 Full Review Source: Radio Times

| Comment (1)

Alan Jones

Radio Times

This is half a good film but hardly a wholly satisfactory one.

July 13, 2012 Full Review Source: This is London

| Comment (1)

Derek Malcolm

This is London

[It] unfortunately invites a lethal dose of scepticism towards its cutesy last-ditch matchmaking, obligatory road-trip plotting, and thinly funny jibes at the rest of humankind.

July 13, 2012 Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph

| Comment (1)

Tim Robey

Daily Telegraph

It's played out in such a saccharine and whimsical manner that the only impact felt is that of the asteroid.

July 12, 2012 Full Review Source: Sun Online

| Comment (1)

Alex Zane

Sun Online

Knightley gives her most dreadful performance yet - mannered and irritating while striving to be adorable, like a manic pixie - and Carell just stares at her as though he can't believe his bad luck.

July 12, 2012 Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK]

| Comment (1)

Christopher Tookey

Daily Mail [UK]

All the heightened emotions and the outrageous urgency of [romantic comedies] are actually appropriate here. All the absurdities that define the genre -- not accidentally but deliberately -- suddenly work in its favor, and not against it.

July 12, 2012 Full Review Source: Flick Filosopher

| Comment (1)

MaryAnn Johanson

Flick Filosopher

More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

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If I see a film this year more under rated than Seeking A Friend For The End Of The World then I no longer have faith in film critics. Despite the aggresive criticism the film's been recieving most if not all of the reasons people have dismissed the film is also a part of what makes the story work so effectively. For

September 14, 2012

Directors Cat

Super Reviewer

I love end of the world movies, and this one is certainly no Doctor Strangelove or even the underrated Last Night, but it's worth seeing due to Steve Carrell and Keira Knightly and all the supporting players. The world is coming to an end. Carrell's wife leaves him when she gets that news and Knightley realizes she

September 15, 2012

Josh Morris

Super Reviewer

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World Quotes

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1. Penny: I won't steal anything, if you promise not to rape me.
2. Dodge: Okay.
– Submitted by Ron P (3 months ago)
1. Penny: Is she the one that got away?
2. Dodge: Well they all got away but... she was the first.
– Submitted by Chris P (4 months ago)
1. Penny: So, what are you doing with the rest of your life?
2. Dodge: Catching up on some me time.
– Submitted by Chris P (4 months ago)

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