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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Play trailer Poster for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World R 2012 1h 41m Comedy Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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55% Tomatometer 174 Reviews 53% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
The announcement that an enormous asteroid will obliterate Earth in less than a month brings an end to the marriage of mild-mannered insurance salesman Dodge (Steve Carell), whose wife leaves him on the spot. After his bold young neighbor, Penny (Keira Knightley), belatedly delivers a letter from Dodge's former sweetheart, Dodge decides that he must find the love of his life before it's too late. Dodge and Penny embark on a road trip that eventually brightens their outlook, if not the world's.
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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

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Critics Consensus

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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Critics Reviews

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Tara Brady Irish Times 07/15/2012
3/5
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. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard 07/13/2012
3/5
This is half a good film but hardly a wholly satisfactory one. Go to Full Review Tim Robey Daily Telegraph (UK) 07/13/2012
2/5
[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. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Nov 12
3.5/4
Most critics at the time of its release gave Seeking a Friend for the End of the World a bad review; I ended up placing it on my 10 Best of 2012 list. Go to Full Review Iván Kazi EscribiendoCine 04/12/2023
8/10
Precise and exempt from superfluity. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review 10/04/2022
3.5/4
In its depiction of The End, it’s quite brave and oddly beautiful. The film takes hold of you all of a sudden and won’t let go. Before you know it, your eyes begin to tear up, and a lump develops in your throat. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Par H @Parhwy 4d Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012) is a 101-minute-long film I own via PlayStation which I saw in March 2026. I have watched this film tens of times. Tens? Yes. Why? Since a teen in the 1980s, I have been attracted to apocalyptic stories. It began with John Christopher’s Empty World (1977 novel). Blame my school curriculum. It was required reading. Z for Zachariah, also. Anyway, back to the movie. It’s a road trip with stops showing different ways of dealing, coping. Carell plays a straight, non-cringe guy. Knightley plays… well, she plays that vulnerable yet confident lass we love to love. I love the scripting and acting around Rob Corddry, William Petersen and Adam Brody: e.g. whoever wrote "Oh you have a job? Mr Job!", as well as that party at Warren and Diane’s house - I salute you for the free dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin you have provided my brain. Rewatch? Yes. Recommend? Yes. 8/10. See more Cristian S @cristiansj Mar 14 Hermosa, una película romántica no convencional que va mucho mas por el lado humano y no tanto por el cuento de princesas. Atrapante y divertida, buenos momentos de humor que la mejoran pero no logran desviar nuestra atención hacia el núcleo que es la pareja protagonista. Abandono, perdida, nostalgia, desconexión emocional, hay muchos sentimientos que este film toca de manera tan bien lograda que no hay forma de explicar sin verla. See more Mathieu N @MNem27 Dec 17 Small romantic comedy without pretension but which remains very nice to watch. A good time See more thiago s @Thiagostone Sep 25 Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom See more Piya S @piyasqm Aug 19 Seeking a Friend for the End of the World sought but never found a cineplex audience. Even so, I would personally advise that you add it to your queue of movies to see before the asteroid hits. See more Astrid B @RT19632646 Aug 14 An absolutely delightful and thought provoking movie. Going into it I was told by many that it was a dry and boring failed-attempt at a comedy, but I could not agree LESS! I was incredibly emotionally invested in the plot and found myself crying at the end. Although the ending was not what I would have liked I thought it fit incredibly well and though the humour is dark it was the perfect blend I thoroughly enjoyed this would recommend. See more Read all reviews
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

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Cast & Crew

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Lorene Scafaria

Director

Steve Carell

Dodge

Keira Knightley

Penny

Adam Brody

Owen

Connie Britton

Diane

Melanie Lynskey

Karen

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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

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Seeking a Friend for the End of the World

(L-R) Keira Knightley as Penny, Gillian Jacobs as Katie, T.J. Miller and Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Keira Knightley as Penny and Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." (L-R) Derek Luke as Speck, Keira Knightley as Penny and Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Steve Carell as Dodge and Keira Knightley as Penny in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Melanie Lynskey as Karen and Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." (L-R) T.J. Miller, Keira Knightley as Penny and Steve Carell as Dodge in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." Derek Luke as Speck in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." T.J. Miller in "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis The announcement that an enormous asteroid will obliterate Earth in less than a month brings an end to the marriage of mild-mannered insurance salesman Dodge (Steve Carell), whose wife leaves him on the spot. After his bold young neighbor, Penny (Keira Knightley), belatedly delivers a letter from Dodge's former sweetheart, Dodge decides that he must find the love of his life before it's too late. Dodge and Penny embark on a road trip that eventually brightens their outlook, if not the world's.
Director
Lorene Scafaria
Producer
Steve Golin, Joy Gorman Wettels, Steven Rales
Screenwriter
Lorene Scafaria
Distributor
Focus Features
Production Co
Indian Paintbrush, Focus Features, Mandate Pictures, Anonymous Content
Rating
R (Language|Brief Violence|Sexual References|Some Drug Use)
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Romance
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 22, 2012, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 18, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.6M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Datasat, Dolby Stereo
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