These Final Hours is a small Australian
pre-apocalyptic thriller with a plot that sounds similar to dozens of movies
with much higher budgets. Just reading the film’s description made me feel as
though I had already watched it, and anticipated no surprises in its viewing.
While I was correct in assuming that the plot would be fairly predictable, the
surprise came in how engaged I became with this slightly derivative narrative,
mostly due to the strengths in its leading performers and a capable director.
With the end of
Earth imminent due to an impending meteor impact, the whole planet has 12 hours
to prepare for the end. James (Nathan Phillips) has plans to go to meet his
girlfriend at a large end-of-the-world party, but first he must leave the girl
he is cheating on her with. These actions make it quite clear from the
beginning that James is not a completely admirable character, but the more we
see of the lawless society, the better he seems. What I found most surprising
amidst the onslaught of despicable characters we are exposed to throughout the
film’s running time was the filmmaker’s unwillingness to permit respite from
the despair. A faithful or holy character praying in anticipation of the
apocalypse might have been an understandable type to see, but this movie does
not offer anything so gentle.
In this film
there are two types, despite a lack of religious discussion within the
narrative; sinful and innocent. Only James manages to slide somewhere between
the two, and that comes after he has an encounter with an innocent young girl
named Rose (Angourie Rice). After saving her from a horrendous pair of
pedophiles, James agrees to help Rose find her father. This leads to a series
of contrived situations which allow James the opportunity to become a better
person in his final hours, rather than falling into an intoxicated and sinful
mess.
It was a bit
more bleak than I was expecting, even for a film about the end of the world,
and I was always aware that there was little new within the film’s plot, but
somehow These Final Hours remains
captivating to the last frame. Some of this is just the impressive ability
writer/director Zak Hilditch has to use suspense as a distraction from the
budget. He also pulled convincing performances from all of his actors, which is
a feat that elevates the movie beyond what the material deserves.
The Blu-ray
doesn’t have special features and though the film is fairly well shot, most of
this film doesn’t demand a high definition presentation. Still, there are a few
moments which are enhanced, even if it is only the DTS-HD Master audio.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 7.5/10
Historical
Significance: 3.5/10
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