These Final Hours (2013) User Reviews

Great Movie

[waders · 8/10 · 27 October 2014]

I have been downloading/renting movies for yrs and using these ratings to decide if I should invest in the bandwidth/Cost. Felt it was time to contribute as this movie was way above what I expected. I am a SCI Fi/End of the world/Zombie movie lover and this totally entertained and kept my attention beginning to end.

This move met all my expectations and I could not stop watching till the end. And was the reason for me to create the account and add the review.

I recommend it. And have a few tissues waiting... it sure jolted my heart in the end. I know... being a guy I am not supposed to cry :)

Go/rent... whatever.. it's worth it

Well done to all involved... great movie. 8/10

Great, absorbing, understated apocalypse drama

[grantss · 8/10 · 18 June 2015]

Great, absorbing, understated apocalypse drama.

Reasonably original plot. Set in Perth, Australia, the world will end in less than 12 hours. A man (played by Nathan Phillips) heads out to an End of the World party. On the way he saves a little girl (played by Angourie Rice) from the clutches of some kidnappers. Now his priorities and degrees of compassion are tested...

It's certainly not your average apocalypse drama. Focuses mainly on relationships and what matters most, rather than the usual survival- type stuff. Quite emotional at times.

Well-directed too. Small budgets tend to bring out the best in directors, as they have to rely on good old-fashioned camera angles and the like, and the audience's imaginations, rather than special effects. This movie is no exception: director (and writer) Zak Hilditch uses the camera well, and relies on the audience to fill in some of the details.

Fairly unknown cast put in solid performances. The standout is probably Angourie Rice as the little girl. Very convincing, especially for someone her age.

Production is a bit rough around the edges, but in some ways that helps, as it makes it feel more real.

These Final Hours

[fettenberg · 8/10 · 31 October 2014]

There are some special qualities in this end-of-the-world enactment. The main plus is that this is a large scale fable of the last days on earth that moves well. It never gets stuck on one theme, except the disruption of the leading character's relationships, which also signals the end of what is known about 'personal' life under would-be normal circumstances. There really is a fully owned dramatization of the total dislocation of normal society - & this is possibly among the best of such dramatizations. There is a faithfulness to the screenwriter's vision that's pretty awesome. Also awesome is some really good acting from the leading man, who gets convincingly tearful at the prospect of being parted from a 7-year old girl who'd become his charge through the course of the story's development. The imminent end of things near and dear is very well brought across, with hardly any mucking about in minor sub-plots.

Great film - Nathan Phillips and Angourie Rice are excellent

[JohnMannering1 · 4 August 2014]

Great film - tense, edgy, but human. Nathan Phillips and Angourie Rice are excellent - especially Angourie Rice - extraordinary acting for an 11 year old! The other two stand-outs are Sarah Snook, and the cameo by Lynnette Curran. In fact, the female casting is what makes the film so memorable - in other hands an end-of-days scenario like this could have been a parade of clichés for the young adult male market, but director Zac Hilditch draws us into a story that is bleak, yet sensitive and gripping without being addled by senseless action and effects. The cinematography and editing are also responsible for the film's great presence - beautifully shot by Bonnie Elliott and edited by Nick Meyers.

Flawed but worthy.

[Troy_Campbell · 7/10 · 6 August 2014]

Marketed as an end-of-days thriller, this Aussie production is better described as a sombre, thought- provoking drama that just so happens to precede an impending apocalypse. Nathan Phillips plays a self-obsessed man intent on spending his remaining time on Earth under the influence of cocaine, alcohol and self-pity. After he saves a young girl (Angourie Rice – amazing) from an unspeakable act, though, he reluctantly allows her to tag along and his journey takes a new shape. Played as a two hander between Phillips and Rice, who share remarkable chemistry together, These Final Hours is outstanding. Their unique partnership is built so carefully, intelligently and organically over the course of the movie that when their affecting and poignant climactic moment arrives, it is completely earned. Writer-director Zak Hilditch errs with his supporting players though, particularly in the middle act where we're introduced to three outlandish, imbecilic and downright aggravating characters, all of which are overplayed to the hilt by local actors. That this sequence is at least 20 minutes long is a huge misstep from Hilditch, but thankfully it doesn't spoil the overall progression of the central relationship. Bonnie Elliott's cinematography deserves a special mention too; her Perth is searing, grimy and harsh, yet somehow entirely beautiful at the same time. A flawed but worthy film that deserves to be on your 'to see' list.

It is great to see a good Australian film!

[petarmatic · 7/10 · 30 January 2015]

I did not see a good Australian film, I am not sure for how long. Finally a great film comes by. I enjoyed it very much. Great cast of characters, great acting, especially by the principal actor. Story is interesting, although I saw many apocalyptic films on the same theme before. That idea is as old as the film itself.

I am glad that film is set in Perth, it is one of great Australian cities, although a little bit isolated. Editing makes Ice arena and Library close by, although they are not in the reality.

I strongly recommend that you see this film. Good Australian films are few and far between. Not only because of that, but if you are interested in the apocalyptic films, this one is definitely for you!

Watch me until you can't see me

[ilozzoli · 7/10 · 26 January 2020]

Australia is pretty good at delivering end-of-the-world movies, and whilst These final hours may not be the best of them, it definitely makes it into the top league of the genre. Some elements, like the doomsday background episodes, or the radio commentary are pretty cliché, but the two leads are very good, and their interaction makes for a very watchable movie. In fact, the "Watch me until you can't see me" scene towards the end is the most moving one I have seen in this genre, and it is well worth watching this film for that scene alone.

Aussie end-of-the-world indie

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 10 November 2014]

Ten minutes ago, some cosmic collision occurred in the north Atlantic. It is spreading destruction across the globe and will reach Perth, Australia in 12 hours. James has end-of-the-world sex with Zoe. He decides to reconnect with his girlfriend Vicky. On the way, he is carjacked by a crazed man. He tries to steal a van and reluctantly rescues little girl Rose from two rapist. She is separated from her father and has no choice but to follow James around. They eventually get to Freddy's wild party. Both Vicky and her brother Freddy are drugged out crazy. James come to realize what is truly important in the last moments of the world. This is undoubtedly an Aussie end-of-the-world indie. Everybody is crazy, criminal, suicidal, or all three partying their brains out. I would have wanted a whimsical section. Instead of another murder-suicide, I prefer to have a happy BBQ in a comical picnic scene. I also don't see why nobody is out on the street unless the movie is hinting that everybody is killing themselves. A nice happy party would also be a great opposite of the wild crazy party. The big thing that I love about this movie is the journey that James goes through. It's really about James growing up. I was a little bit concerned about how this would end but the movie closes with a nice poetic touch. The problems are minor in this compelling indie.

What a beautiful apocalypse

[Lambysalamby · 9/10 · 5 May 2015]

Wow, I was taken by surprise with this one. What a beautiful film! This may well be the best apocalyptic film I have seen..

The film was loaded with great imagery and concepts from the very start... I believe it had its own unique take on the apocalypse which was terrifying and believable.. There is a great unique narration as the film progresses that lets you in on how little time is left..

The acting was superb from the two leads, even the child actress was fantastic.... The film made me think how important any meeting or bond can be between us humans regardless of time...

This film deserves your attention and to do well...

Overall: Beautiful. Add it to your watch list its one of the best films I've watched this year....

Emotional apocalypse

[begob · 7/10 · 11 December 2014]

Wow. You don't need zombies or tons of ammunition to make a good apocalypse movie. Up yours, Hollywood.

This is a bit uneven, but it gives a complete character arc for a guy at the end of life.

The debauchery is done well, although the bearded child-molester storyline isn't tied up - what happened to him at the party?

There's a touching scene where the hero parts from the girl he helped: "I'll keep watching ...", and then she disappears from the rear view mirror. So good. The scene with his mother comes second.

Rose was played well, but I think the big scene mourning her father was fluffed. It's a bit reserved - director should have made the actor run around for 60s screaming her head off before delivering the lines. Marked down a point for that.

The apocalypse is kept vague until the final scene. Works perfectly.

Pace is good. Didn't notice the music.

party hard

[tiggersuk · 5/10 · 14 December 2014]

reading the reviews of this move its clear to see some people think its a best thing since sliced bread type film and others think its dire... i personally think it falls somewhere in-between, i guess a lot depends on how many similar movies that you may or may not have seen over the years... the basic premise is that the end of the world is coming, the clock is ticking down into the last few hours, hence some people are partying wildly, others are running amok with machete's and others have decided to take their own lives in a variety of different ways when in reality given such a doom laden scenario they would be the extremes as most people i guess would probably want to be with their loved ones or pets or whoever and whatever was important to them in their lives... i'm not going to write any major spoilers here but you have your standard action movie muscleman tough guy fighting his inner demons but with a conscience and a heart of gold using up some of his last few hours helping a young girl to find her father before the world ends and meeting several over the top characters along the way as the clock ticks down... its an OK movie given its budget, not great, not dire reasonable! 5/10

breakthrough Australian brilliance!

[SpannersGerm669 · 9/10 · 31 July 2014]

Unfortunately good Australian feature films are very few and far between these days, with the glory days of the 70's seemingly only a distant memory. A few years back, Wolf Creek revived Aussie movies and really set the benchmark, however as true form showed, movies to follow it never really reached the levels that could sell internationally.

That is until These Final Hours came along. WOW! What an experience! One that I was totally not expecting and found myself caught off guard.

Nathan Phillips plays a very arrogant and self indulgent young man, traveling to a party to see in the end of the world which is approaching in 12 hours time. Things are complicated when he saves a young girl from two thugs and learns that she is trying to find her family. With no other option, he takes the girl on a trip, trying to steer clear of trouble, but in a world that is facing certain doom, trouble is very easy to find.

If there were any doubts about the ability of Nathan Phillips as an actor, then I think those doubts will be squashed after his performance in this movie. Such a raw portrayal of a horrible situation bringing out the best in a seemingly horrible person. The performance of the young girl was also admirable and I am sure we can expect bigger and better things from her in the future.

The violence and sex is there but never overdone. Instead it focuses on how people act in a dire situation. Some good, and some crumble! Some truly heart wrenching scenes that will immediately be compared to the American film "The Road" which I was also a big fan of.

HOWEVER, I am going out on a limb here and saying that THESE FINAL HOURS is indeed a better film than the brilliant THE ROAD.

Go and see it !!! This has revived my hope for Australian Cinema for the future!

What would you do in your last 12 hours on Earth?

[InMyHonestOpinion · 7/10 · 31 December 2014]

These Final Hours

It's hardly ever that we hear about "us Aussies" being able to produce any good films unless it is tied to Baz Luhrmann, George Miller or the Gillian Armstrong's out there, not that I'm saying all Aussie directors are bad, I mean some are amazing I'm more referring to the fact that we are hardly ever regarded as being the more popular in general society. Every now and then though a shining star peaks out from under the clouds and delivers something very memorable. Zak Hilditch is a name I'm unaware of until now but he has had a few other films (Plum Role, The Actress) so this isn't his first time being let out to play. He also wrote the script for the film These Final Hours as well as the majority of his other films, so I'll definitely be looking up his previous films after seeing this one.

These Final Hours begins 10mins after a large asteroid has hit the Earth, in ten hours it will reach the population of Perth, a large city in Western Australia, the Asteroid is a planet killer and once the fireball its crash has created reaches you, you are obliterated, this indeed being the Earths final hours. James played by Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek, Chernobyl Diaries) is lying in bed with his lover Zoe who has just told him that she is pregnant with his child. James only has one thing on his mind though, to attend the party to end all parties being held by his actual girlfriend's brother and best mate Freddie. James leaves Zoe alone with her thoughts and heads towards the party, along the way he spots 2 rough looking guys dragging a screaming young girl into a house. It's pretty obvious to James what the pair intend to do so he does what he must to save the girl. The girl's name is Rose and she has lost her father, not wanting to leave the child alone James takes her along thinking he'll be able to drop her off someplace more suitable where she can see out her final hours… It's really hard to go any further without giving away anything so I'll leave the plot there. What follows though is a disturbing story that attempts to define what people will do when they are aware no matter what they do their time is over and there is no tomorrow.

It's a story told really well, it has its odd moments and some of the acting is very questionable, all in all though it's engaging. It has enough to keep you enthralled at the possibilities of what lies ahead. The relationship between Rose and James is a little odd as well but again, knowing how to act in their situation especially for a young child would have been really hard. The cinematography is awesome, a red/yellow tint throughout the entire film aids in the story it's trying to tell. There were a few very hard scenes to take in due to their nature but one of the best things the film does is makes you think…. It makes you think about what you would do given the same situation, I really feel having those questions running through your mind throughout the film as well as after gives it a much higher appeal. Zak Hilditch is someone to keep your eyes out for in the future, I can see some very big things coming from this guy and I for one am looking forward to whatever they may be.

Not for kids, unless you enjoy the awkward questions that will follow, so many disturbing moments those emotional people will no doubt need a box of tissues handy.

Ambitious Aussie Thriller That Fails to Resonate

[mistercsays1 · 5/10 · 23 July 2014]

One can't help but admire the ambition of writer/director Zak Hilditch in bringing These Final Hours to the screen, even if the execution is lacking somewhat at times. Whilst the film shares many similarities, particularly visually, with post-apocalyptic movies such The Road or 28 Days Later – albeit there are neither zombies nor cannibals anywhere to be seen – this story is actually set in the hours before Armageddon, very much akin to the 1959 made-in-Australia Hollywood production On the Beach. With Nathan Phillips in the lead role as the somewhat self-absorbed James, These Final Hours is exactly that; the final hours of life for the people of Perth, Western Australia. Created on a minuscule (by today's standards) $2.5 million budget, These Final Hours is certainly concise at just 86 minutes and whilst Hilditch has made good use of the available funds in presenting a version of Perth never before seen on screen, my engagement with the film was compromised by a distinct lack of tension (perhaps due to the sense of inevitability that pervades the action) and a group of characters that it is almost impossible to care much about.

Phillips (Wolf Creek, You and Your Stupid Mate) is serviceable enough as James, a young man who abandons Zoe (Jessica de Gouw), the woman carrying his never-to-be-born baby, to spend his final hours on earth at a hedonistic party across town at which is other girlfriend Vicki (Kathryin Beck) is waiting. Of course, myriad obstacles intervene along the way, including several encounters with crazed citizens who, devoid of any hope, are seemingly intent on destroying each other. In one such encounter, James rescues a young girl named Rose (Angourie Rice) from the clutches of two predators and reluctantly finds himself responsible for returning her to her family. Needless to say, his initial disinclination to assist beyond removing her from immediate danger is swept aside as the pair develop an emotional connection. Whilst the abandoned streets are eerily effective and there are some really nice touches, such as the wall constructed of shopping trolleys that serves as the initial obstacle that sets James' trajectory into motion.

It is the characters that let the film down because almost everybody we meet is strange, but never in an endearing way. Given the effort expended in getting there, the party is actually the weakest part of the film. Yes, the idea that people might decide to spend their final hours imbibing all manner of substances and engaged in myriad sexual shenanigans seems reasonable enough, but the problem is that the only characters we meet here are utterly unlikeable; so much so that the end of the world would be preferable to spending any more time with them. Freddy (Daniel Henshall), the host of this orgiastic farewell bash, is James' grotesque, psychotic best friend, while Vicki is presented as nothing more than a shrill nut job consumed by jealousy and fear. There is not an ounce of subtlety or nuance in either of these individuals. Even the usually reliable Lynette Curran struggles to bring much verisimilitude to her role as James' mother.

Yes, the fact that young Rose is exposed to all of the debauchery, including a game of Russian roulette that ends badly for one participant, is provocative, but it seems as though Hilditch was reluctant to really push the envelope with regard to sex or violence, which would be fine if the film was stronger in other areas. The end result is a film that is too slow moving at times to work as a thriller or an action piece and lacks sufficient depth as a character study; after all, we never really find out anything much about James and therefore don't really care too much about where he ends up or with whom he will spend his final moments. With a radio DJ voice-over (David Field) used as the device by which we are kept informed about how much time remains, typical race-against-the-clock clichés abound, such as a car breaking down at the most inopportune time.

On the plus side, 12-year-old Rice is terrific as Rose, bringing much more complexity to her character than any of her adult co-stars, which may, of course, have more to do with the screenplay than the performances. On a technical level, the film bats well above its meagre budget, with Bonnie Elliott's cinematography and Emma Bortignon's sound design both eerily effective in creating a sense of unease and abandonment in the suburbs of Perth. Furthermore, the final frames, in which the advancing tsunami of fire descends on the Australian coast, are actually quite impressive; it's just a shame that the journey through These Final Hours to reach this point wasn't more riveting.

In death some choose life

[werwolfnz · 9 June 2017]

What a film! Minimal budget but you wouldn't know it. Mad Max meets Leon The Professional meets Romeo and Juliet. Riveting from start to end. This is one of those rare films you will want to watch again. As a New Zealander born and bred, I have to admit our big brother Australia has raised the stakes. Yet again. Which can only be good. Great film. Watch it if you get the chance. You won't be disappointed. Jx

The Aussie way to deal with the apocalypse

[Mikelikesnotlikes · 7/10 · 27 February 2017]

The premise is an asteroid strike on the far side of the earth. An impact so violent that the blast wave will spread across the entire globe in a rolling fireball. The fact that people the furthermost from the impending disaster now have a countdown for their inevitable deaths is explored (primarily using male and female 20 somethings).

I found the actions believable as in we'd all react differently to being told we are about to die. Some people would go insane, some wold shrug it off, commit suicide, have a party, watch re-runs on TV. The gamut was well represented.

As a debut feature by Zac Hilditch, I say well done. Suburban apocalypse has been done and done and done but this entry is original enough to still be wedged into the collection.

Nathan Phillip's 'James' doesn't get any back story for us to judge his morals and ethics by. He does well to show how torn he is when a desperate instinct to die while smashed out of his head on alcohol and drugs is repeatedly interrupted. At first he manages to push his conscience aside as his girlfriend tells him she is pregnant. Angry and afraid he runs from her, heading to his best friends end of the world party and looking forward to hooking up with his old girlfriend.

He has a few problems on the way and must abandon his car. On the look out for another vehicle he sees two pedophiles carrying a young girl they've snatched off the street into a house. His conscience will not allow him to steal their car and leave her to be attacked so he rescues her (Rose) Ingourie Rice. She is a natural born actor and I usually hate child actors.

Rose wants to return to her Dad but James tries every other way to get rid of her. First he tries to drop her at his sister (already committed suicide), takes her to the rave party (where she is given Ecstasy), and then to his estranged mother (she's totally resigned to the impeding doom). There are some really good indicators along the way that he is becoming more and more attached to Rose but he really can't seem to work out why. His confusion is shown so well.

Finally convinced that he isn't going to get a handle on his own problems in the time he has left, James resolves to at least deliver Rose to her Aunty. His good deed I guess.

He leaves Rose at the Aunty's house after discovering the family has all committed suicide You'll just have to make up your own mind here but I found this scene quite moving and believable. It's the end of the world so you don't have the luxury of thinking through every possible scenario. The main point made was that Rose wanted to die with the person she loved (Dad) which make James realise that he wants to be with Zoe and his unborn child.

I liked this film. Aussie culture is often depicted in extremely cringe-worthy ways, and some of the scenes were over the top stereo types. But as a whole this is the new generation of Australians.

BTW guns are REALLY hard to get here so all the shooting was the most unreal part I thought. The cop was a good side step. I would have done a little more with that scene though.

I really liked this, but geez

[coyle-junk · 7/10 · 29 November 2014]

This was a good film. I loved the sentimental father/daughter relationship between the protagonist and young girl. The party scene with Russian roulette and house orgy was well done too.

But:

• Why is the protagonist the only redeemable character in the entire film. Every other character is a rapist, murderer, drugged out psychopath, or murder/suicide coward. - Why does everyone want to commit suicide and take their family with them, you're going to die in 12hrs why do you need to do it quicker. - Why did the girls father commit suicide instead of looking for his daughter. Coward. - Why does the protagonist's best friend want to shoot him? Drugs don't turn everyone into psychopaths. - Why does everyone have pistols. This isn't America, only criminals and gunclub members have pistols in Australia. - Where are the good people, not all Australian's are fucken bogan rednecks.

Very good hour and a half at the movies.

[bbickley13-921-58664 · 7/10 · 7 March 2015]

What looks like the ultimate natural disaster is about to wipe out the human race and one of us humans races the clock in order to get his life where it needs to be before the main event. Along the way, his mission changes when he rescues a little girl who promised to be with her father before the end.

What does one do if you know the end is near? Who would you want To be with? How do you spend the time? These are the issues addressed in the movie.

Very similar to Seeking a Friend for the End of the World with Steve Carell, but without the humorous tone. Although, the movie does have humor, with some of the things people decide to do when they know the world's ending. It also goes to a very dark place, basically hitting every scenario possible when the world knows it's about to end.

Strangely sad and uplifting at the same time. Also a strangely beautiful look at the end of the world as well.

I absolutely recommend

Australian take on apocalypse

[851222 · 7/10 · 6 January 2015]

Greetings from Lithuania.

"These Final Hours" (2013) is a satisfying flick about last hours on Earth (to be more specific - in Australia) before asteroid hits this land (all other continents are seemingly gone already).

It's not the worst nor the best flick out there. Basicaly there are two main characters, both superbly played by Nathan Phillips and Angourie Rice respectively - they both are very appealing and only their strong presence was a driving force behind this movie. Sarah Snook - although she is been see lately more often in movies, she had more of a cameo in this picture.

Overall, "These Final Hours" doesn't represent anything new, original or very great and exciting, but it's a satisfying flick for a moviegoers. At the running time 1 h and 20 min it wasn't to long neither not to short. If you will skip this, you won't lose anything at all.

Loved this one

[revbobdobbs-47-172687 · 9/10 · 15 December 2014]

This one took me by surprise. If you appreciate fine cinema, you ought to love this one, too. The writing, casting, directing, production and soundtrack are all excellent. Young actress Angourie Rice, as other reviewers have noted, offers an especially memorable and deeply emotional performance. Nathan Phillips, Jessica De Gouw, Sarah Snook, Lynette Curran, Daniel Henshall and supporting cast are also excellent and convincing. This is a great film; full of drama, emotion, suspense and beauty ... please don't miss it. p.s. My other favorite films from Oceania are 'Bliss' (1985, Australia) and 'The Quiet Earth' (1985, New Zealand).

An end of the World tale with a difference from Australia.

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 7/10 · 8 March 2017]

The end of the World is nigh and the people of Perth have been told they have a mere 12 hours to sort out their affairs. James is a bit self absorbed and has had a life mainly dealing with his own wants – though he is not a bad person. But as destruction approaches he is told of the party to end all parties and so heads off across a town where all semblance of law and order has broken down to get his rocks off.

Along the way he comes across a seven year old girl, Rose, who has been split up from her father and, reluctantly, he decides to help her. The path to the reunification with her father takes him on his own path to find what truly matters to himself.

Now this is a film with a simple plot but it is cram full of things that make it stand far out from the crowd. The acting is superb and Rose played by Angourie Rice is excellent and so are all the supporting crew. The cinematography is subtle but brilliant and the special effects are completely believable. The real strength is the story and the underlying emotions that are rumbling along like the clouds of destruction that act like an urban soundtrack as the film nears its conclusion. This is a film you will remember you will talk about and may even want to see again – it is that good – highly recommended.

When the film isn't sickeningly violent, it's stupid and when it's not that it's sentimental and boring, with little to recommend

[Likes_Ninjas90 · 2/10 · 28 July 2014]

These Final Hours is a worthless, trashy addition to the clichés of the apocalyptic subgenre. The only memorable facet of this Australian road movie is the casualness of its violent and sexual exploitations, the ugliness of which the film basks in to shock us before retreating to the safety of sentimental pap about being kind to others. The threadbare script, focused on a barely two-dimensional action hero, is thin, idiotic and full of holes, and any belief in this end of the world premise is sabotaged by low budget and amateurish visual limitations that ruin the plausibility of the world and actions of the characters. Whether comparing the movie to similar films, both old and recent features about the apocalypse, or examining the film in isolation, this is a project that has the skill of a student film kindly granted a cinema release. It is short, stupid and undeserving of our time.

The film was shot in the suburbs of Perth where James (Nathan Phillips) has left his pregnant girlfriend Zoe (Jessica De Gouw) to attend an end of the world party. Parts of the world have been hit by meteors large enough to destroy Europe but for whatever reason Australia is the last country to stand. Aren't meteors generally large enough to destroy the whole world at once rather than selectively crushing certain countries? Possibly due to these scientific gaffes, people around the suburbs are driven mad, either murdering one another or praying in the street. James can't look away when two thugs take a screaming young girl (Angourie Rice) into a house and lock her behind a door. Who they are and why they've kidnapped this girl isn't explained. They're merely cannon fodder with James butchering them and rescuing the girl. She tells James her name is Rose and she needs to return to her dad. Reluctantly, James agrees to escort and drive her through the suburbs to see if he's still alive. The episodes that follow involve meeting a police officer who wants James to help him kill himself and his family and also a ghastly rave party where James reunites with another girlfriend who has an underground shelter and psychotic friends, including Freddy (Daniel Henshall).

The first pitfall for Hours is director Zak Hilditch's failure to build an aesthetic context to justify the violent actions of the world. The orange haze that shades the film is the major stylistic choice that projects this as hell on Earth and foreshadows the inevitable destruction. There are cars on fire but filming in the suburbs, where all of the houses are untouched and undamaged, is a major aesthetic flaw for a world that is meant to have gone mad. Why is there a shortage of fuel if there is no physical destruction? The sanitised, drab visuals made me long for David Michod's eye for visual details in the flawed but superior apocalyptic drama The Rover. He contextualised the violence and destruction by setting the film in a wasteland so that the moral decay was visually plausible in a lawless world. He also controlled the tempo and built the tension by providing time for the scenery and actors. By forgoing an aesthetic gravitas and measured tempo, Hilditch reveals his impatience to expose us to sex and violence before he can build the world and characters, initially favouring gratuitousness and awful music video techniques that achieve an unintentional comic impact.

Hilditch's own script is also poor, contrasting ultra violence and debauchery with sentimental messages about kindness and human decency. Though broadly plagiarising from Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men and John Hillcoat's The Road, two apocalyptic films about grizzled men escorting children across dystopian landscapes, the climatic peaks of Hours remain as conventional as any generic action film. James's formulaic character structure transitions him from a party animal to a sensible and unselfish adult. The two dramatic climaxes of this film, delivering Rose to her father and reaching his girlfriend, summon a simplistic coda about being with people we love till the very end. Kindness is the only reason why Hilditch is interested in James because he has no backstory and his motives, partying and getting messed up, are sketchy. Emotional reactions are not a strong point for the script or the young actors either. Within a scene of being kidnapped and locked up Rose is unfazed by the trauma, which weakens our belief in the characters and relationships.

The story's thematic conservatism is further apparent when other mediums have used this same framework to explore new and fascinating cracks in human behaviour. One example is last year's excellent Playstation 3 video game The Last of Us, which borrowed heavily from the narratives and imagery of Cuaron and Hillcoat's films. Critically, the game's story subverted similar tropes by attaching complex moral questions to the violence and possessiveness of the characters. Video games are known for imitating films so why is it too much for a film to reach similar narrative feats? Out of several dislocated episodes in Hours the party sequence is the least conservative and the most implausible. This limp excuse for senseless female nudity contains one of the most over the top and hysterical pieces of acting (shrieking) in recent memory. Typifying the film's crass dialogue is the amount of swearing in this scene and a girl's response to James' theory on the inevitable as she squeals: "You're so mean!" This embarrassing sequence also houses a numbingly stupid character choice, more defiant of our belief than any apocalyptic meltdown. Would you leave a little girl alone at an orgy, rave party while a young woman (played by Sarah Snook) stalks her and there are people openly playing Russian roulette? When the film isn't sickeningly violent, it's stupid and when it's not that it's sentimental and boring, with little to recommend.

Hollywood, take a lesson about VFX.

[azcoppen · 8/10 · 2 January 2015]

I don't think i've ever seen a more violent or terrifying end of the world depicted on film before. You've seen Armageddon, 2012, Doomsday etc, but not quite like this. The fire cloud coming across the water at the end of this flick is something right out of hell itself, and absolutely petrifying. Hollywood VFX companies always make the tsunamis, meteors, and earthquakes look so ridiculous that they're about as frightening as a Disney park. This film does it differently, and presumably on a budget. What you're looking at is all-consuming evil; from the ash flakes to the seething temperature, to the bright atomic frenzy, to the inescapable powerlessness of it all. There is no fear in the event, just anticipating it as it burns closer and closer. The only sadness is the death wave only gets a minute of screen time, when it would be very powerful to have loaded it in much earlier to compound the powerlessness and fear. The heat and coloring reminds you of the physical fierceness of Danny Boyle's "Sunshine".

The Aussies enjoy their films like their drinks: strong. If you reveled in the sheer brutality of Wolf Creek, you'll like this. Redemption comes at a very painful price, and there's no science unit saving the day. I've always been convinced that the end of the world would showcase our worst, not our best; without any rules or limits, human nature is on full display: rape, murder, hedonism, selfishness, emptiness, abandonment - the revolting core of what we are. There's little good available here, and rightly so. The backstory is deliberately left out, and you can only assume that's because of the low-budget; wise storytellers know that when you don't have the cash, the smartest thing to do is focus on the human elements and use the ambiguity to heighten the mystery.

Ultimately, apocalyptic tales are about our powerlessness to stop them, and our nightmare- ish vulnerability. Hollywood, of course, has to placate the American public with a happy ending where NASA saves the day just-in-time, which negates the most dramatic part of the staging - we are not in control, nature is our destroyer, and the scariest thing is running out of options into unavoidable submission - that our favorite Beverly Hills capitalists cowardly abscond from. The drama is in the unfolding and inevitable tragedy, not childish Exceptionalism.

The film, in my view, is about fatherhood: the protagonist knows the girl he actually loves - but has abandoned - is pregnant, and it's a fascinating coming-of-age scenario that's bleak, dark, and as punchy as it gets. The sweltering heat only gets hotter, and you can almost feel the acrid, sweaty claustrophobia get worse and worse (never felt the Aussie sun, but apparently it's nasty and gets you good). Ironically, the filmmakers seemed to have set out to pin one story (e.g. redemption from selfishness), yet touched on other, more salient, themes instead: dignity in death, abandonment of morality, the sheer terror of the natural phenomena, and more. And the fact that the girl is more affected that he left her to die alone than her impending immolation, speaks volumes for the emotional depth of what's going on - when we're facing the end, all any of us are going to care about is who we love, and whether they are with us. The question art of all forms needs to ask is, -- why, if we're just apes? Are love, morality, justice, etc, transcendent by nature, and what happens when we are stripped down to what we are?

A solid flick that asks tough questions with wonderful Aussie forthrightness. And if Perth really even gets Armageddon 10hrs late, i'm bringing bottled water.

A very underrated movie

[Eastwing · 7/10 · 18 July 2021]

I've watched a ton of end of the world movies and at some point was searching for more, somehow this came onto my path and it was a pretty gem. It shows pretty much how a real world would react to such a disaster and how sometimes, people find the best parts of themselves in the toughest of situations. Great watch.

Not 'The Road' by any stretch of the imagination

[dwuksta · 1/10 · 1 November 2014]

If you are still seeing anything above a 4 on these ratings, then you are being duped by staff. These Final Hours is just a blatant waste of money, time and resources, I cannot figure out why it was even made when you have nothing new to add, and there are so many far superior apocalyptic themed movies, I shake my head.

The acting was lame and unrealistic at best, it was like a pack of new grads going for an Oscar in every scene, but clearly missing the mark on their delivery, the female roles were particularly annoying and over the top, lacking vision, and direction. I would like to add that the young girl was probably the shred of decency in this film, although, it's a bit like saying the radio works in an otherwise wrecked car.

Trying to shoot an end of the world drama on a low budget is almost an impossible task on a low budget, I rest my case right there. The outdoor scenes were few and far between, mostly tightly cropped vision of tree tops, only one long shot of a skating center car park, which they were clearly chuffed about and used as long as they could, close up of houses, some burnt out cars, but in other areas, seemingly unaffected suburbia. And of course, as in every cheap ass Aussie flick, the car of choice is a 1970s Ford falcon, even in 2014(hmmm okay)and the obligatory gratuitous sex scene with the male ass going for it right at the start. The plot was not believable, rest of the world was wiped out except for Australia (by a number of hours) and yet, so many had apparently chosen to kill themselves and their families on a lovely sunny day before anything had actually happened, yeh right. Yet, others were sitting around drinking wine, smoking cigarettes chatting about family like nothing was happening. There was no consistency, and I was reminded of this poor attempt at convincing me it was really happening thru the whole film. It completely failed to attach any emotion, while films like 'The Road' still stay with me years later. There was one scene where the young girl was being kidnapped by some suburban bogans, and it became a personal dilemma to rescue her, or take the car, and that was the only time we cared as a viewer, rest of the time I was ready for it to finish, just a train wreck.

I shudder to think why in so many contemporary Aussie movies recently, we are displayed as utter dickheads, singlet wearing, ute driving, raping, brainless, mad max type, drunken useless drug taking scum. Why do film makers want to project that representation of Australian culture, it's boring and no longer shocking or artistic, just cheap and easy to replicate bogans.