Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World

DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD (2024). Radu Jude's caustic ramble about the state of mind of the Romanian public. Jude's film is intentionally messy and, seemingly, disorganized, but the filmmaker has a lot on his mind.

The main protagonist is Angela Raducani (Ilinca Manolache; quite remarkable) a production assistant on a safety video being produced locally for an Austrian client. She's required to drive around all over the area, seemingly the only P. A. on the production. She interviews accident victims who are 'auditioning' to be the spokesperson for the industrial short. Jude intersperses extended clips from a 1981 Romanian film (ANGELA MOVES ON) about a taxi driver also named Angela. Jude sets up the contrast by saying his film is in 'conversation' with the earlier one. The two Angelas meet when the P. A is doing her vetting interviews. The older Angela is played by the same actress from the earlier film (Dorina Lazar).

Jude uses various film and digital techniques (including aspect ratio) throughout. Slow motion, freeze frames and other tricks of the trade. Angela blows off steam by adopting a male alter ego - Bobita that she posts on social media, complete with cellphone camera filters. "Bobita" is an extreme misogynist in the Andrew Tate mold spouting the most vile rants imaginable. The movie is leisurely paced, but never dull. One fun side story involves Director Uwe Boll (playing himself) who is in town shooting a low budget sci-fi flick; Boll is introduced thusly: "He beats people up!"

Jude's themes coalesce, more or less, in the final hour. The great German actress Nina Hoss (TAR, PHOENIX) arrives in Bucharest playing the Austrian producer, Doris Goethe. Angela picks her up and drives her to a hotel. The next day is the shoot which Jude films as a remarkable 40 minute single take. The victim's family (including the now elderly taxi driver Angela) is placed at the scene of his unfortunate accident on a dreary, rainy afternoon. Of course, the company responsible doesn't really want to hear from the man (Ovidiu Pirsan) as much as spread their propaganda using the 'victims' as human props. As the family sit in a dank alley in a light rain, they are told what to say and do over the phone by Doris as she sits comfortably in her well apportioned hotel.

Jude is fully committed to his vision of Romania as a sad sack society. There's a mention of road so dangerous that citizens have put up crosses for those that have perished because of the government's indifference (it's a long montage). The nation is now 'free' from the Iron Curtain, but, it's leaders, including the much reviled Nicolae Ceausescu, have left deep wounds in the Romanian psyche. Being an EU member has only magnified the country's status on the lowest rung of that ladder. The two Angelas may represent two different generations, but, are their circumstance that much different? They each believe the "End of the World" is happening - and don't expect it to be a happy one.

DO NOT EXPECT TOO MUCH FROM THE END OF THE WORLD is currently streaming on Mubi and is available for rental.

Angela, the overworked and underpaid production assistant, drives through chaotic Bucharest, trying to film castings for a commercial. Completely stressed out and exhausted, she desperately seeks a few minutes of peace, but her boss keeps calling, telling her to drink a strong coffee or a Red Bull and to keep working. The ringtone on Angela's phone when work calls is "Ode to Joy" - the EU anthem.

A film that couldn't be more cynical. It's an authentic critique of society and capitalism, wrapped in bold, crude situational humor. The West-especially Austria, the country that in recent years blocked Romania from joining the Schengen Area-is constantly ridiculed.

It's not common to see a Romanian film that is so critical of the present, as most tend to condemn the past under Ceausescu and embrace capitalism without much questioning. Radu Jude shows that those days are likely over, as things haven't improved much for Romanians. Quite the opposite. Nature is being destroyed for private companies, cities are drowning in traffic, intellectuals are leaving the country, and poverty is everywhere.

This dark comedy is, for me, a highlight of the year. It makes you think, but most of all, it makes you laugh out loud.

I live in Romania and this is the most acurate and realistic movie I've seen in my life and I watched over 2000 movies. I truly hope that life outside of Romania has another perspectives and values but I suspect that this toxic recipe is applied in all the "modern" countries of the world.

The movie captures in a perfect way the hoax of a "modern" life, lived in a big city. Deppresion, anxiety, regrets, fake smiles, competition, survival, degeneration and destruction. The parralel drawn between the modern days presented in black and white and the communist times presented in colour mark a huge contrast between an organic way of life and this jungle we dare to call civilisation today.

A huge masterpiece and an extremely harsh and realistic account of today's "society." Anyone who is more bothered by swearing than by corruption, ignorance and obedience is by definition a modern slave. This is the true message of the movie. It's time to stop exchanging fake smiles for money and status and start being human again.

Absolute film. This stunning protagonist takes us to inside the car and also into the reality of the romenian proletariat. Her daily vlogs as a man character on social media's make criticism uncomfortably funny.

Flashes of "Angela goes on" sometimes fit perfectly with romenians women's nowadays issues, especially as a car driver. On the other hand, at other times, it highlights the aberrant contrast behind different eras: "it's later than you think".

Personally, as a third world citizen, this universal theme brought up by the film touches me deeply. Government corruption, nonsense ideological fanaticism among people, and our impotence in the face of all of this.

Uncomfortable until the end and necessary.

Radu Jude's Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is a blistering indictment of modern capitalism, disguised as a workplace comedy. The film follows an overworked production assistant tasked with creating a safety video for a multinational corporation, only to have the project derailed by a whistleblower's exposé.

What follows is a chaotic, darkly humorous descent into the heart of corporate greed and societal indifference. Jude's film is a masterclass in satire, using absurd situations and deadpan delivery to expose the systemic failures that underpin our world. The pacing is relentless, mirroring the frenetic pace of modern life, and the performances are uniformly excellent.

While the film's runtime is lengthy, it never feels indulgent. Every scene serves a purpose, contributing to the overall message. It's a challenging watch, but a deeply rewarding one. Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World is essential viewing for anyone interested in exploring the complexities of contemporary society.