These Final Hours is a movie about the impending end of the world. A meteor has collided with Earth, somewhere in the mid-Atlantic, and the cataclysmic blast is making its way around the whole world until all life as we know it is wiped off the face of it. There is nowhere to hide, there is nothing that can be done, and, unfortunately, Bruce Willis won’t be saving the day.
This film stars Nathan Phillips as James who is looking to reunite with his girlfriend before the cataclysm reaches them in Australia. At the beginning of the movie he is with his mistress, Zoe, played by the beautiful Jessica De Gouw, who tells him that she is pregnant with his baby. He is torn but ultimately decides to go meet up with his girlfriend, Vicky (Kathryn Beck), whose brother happens to be throwing the party to end all parties (literally).
The world has turned to chaos and all James wants to do is get to the party. There are carjackers, murders in the streets, the sound of gunfire everywhere and then… a young girl screaming. She has been abducted by a truly vile man whose plans are to undoubtedly rape her as many times as he can before the end. Having had his car stolen, James is faced with a choice. He can steal this man’s van and drive away as quickly as he can, or he can save the girl.
Aussie writer/director Zak Hilditch crafts a suspenseful drama that is as intense as it is powerful. James’ character is far from perfect but in the end, when everyone is deteriorating into the worst version of themselves, he is becoming his best. The relationship between James and the little girl, Rose, is the heart of the movie and it beats strongly. This is in large part thanks to the impressive acting skills of Angourie Rice, who plays Rose as she desperately tries to reconnect with her father before the end. Philips also delivers an impactful performance as we witness his inner struggle to maintain his integrity while the rest of the world has apparently stopped caring about anything. Because of these performances and the well-written script, there are a couple scenes that are truly emotionally exhausting.
Sarah Snook, who is The Unmarried Mother from Predestination is billed as being on of the main actors in this film which was definitely something that drew me to the film as her performance in Predestination was very well done. Unfortunately, she has a very small role and is only in the movie for about ten minutes. Also, the part that she was in would have to be characterized as the weakest part of the film. It dragged on endlessly and the plot seemed to freeze for a while. It was a very disappointing part of an otherwise excellent film.
Overall, even though the apocalypse plot is something that has been done more than its fair share of times, it’s a fresh take on the genre and a well made film overall. I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone that likes these kinds of doomsday movies. Check it out and let me know what you think!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jozEpGIrzeU?rel=0&controls=0&showinfo=0&w=920&h=425]
