The Final (I) (2010) User Reviews

Pretty dark stuff here

[reddiemurf81 · 6/10 · 29 December 2020]

This is not one of those movies that I'd refer to as,, fun. I saw it first awhile back after it came out, so this is my 2nd viewing,, and my thoughts on it have still stayed the same. This is a great suspense/thriller for the content it contains. A group of High school misfits/outcasts set up a party and invite the popular kids to come. The popular kids who've spent the last few years torturing them (emotionally/psychologically/physically) daily at school. Why would the misifts do this? Well,, they're not planning on showing the cool kids a great time,, more like a night of horrors they'll never forget.

This movie should really ring true for everyone in some way. No matter whether you were the bully or the bullied,, we all have seen bullying and it's effects on people. Growing up I was bullied plenty, and it had a profound effect on me and my sense of self-worth. While I have grown up, and have a very healthy sense of self-worth now,, it took a VERY long time to get there. As I would hope everyone does, I look at things very different now. I don't wish anything against the bullies from my past,, but the scars are always there. I went to a restaurant with my family a couple of years ago,, and one of my bullies was there. I hadn't seen or thought about this guy in more than a decade or so,, but just being in the same room made everything come back. I was on the verge of a panic attack. He didn't acknowledge me, nor I him,, but I felt like that tormented kid again.

This movie (imo) does a good job of showing what can happen if people are pushed far enough. Especially considering the Godless/nihilistic views that are so prevalent in this day and age. I see how kids treat each other now, and it makes my generation almost look saintly (well, not quite,, but much nicer). We are living in the last days, that's for certain,, and it's gonna get worse before it gets better. Anyways,, I've said enough.

Had potential...

[damonspina · 5/10 · 24 April 2019]

It had a good enough story line leading up and kept me intrigued as to exactly how things would play out. Then it was as if the story writers gave up. What I had anticipated to be the better half of the movie, quickly went downhill. The revenge on the bullies was too rushed and characters had to explain what was happening rather than let the screen 'tell' it. Ended with too many 'What happens to ...?' and leaves a lot of holes in the story.

Nice try but...

[EternalFlameOfFreedom · 4/10 · 11 April 2010]

I honestly don't know what others find so good in this film to boost its reviews because there isn't something worth of praise.

Plot line in film info page says it all, so there is no surprise or something unexpected to hold you on the edge of the seat. Story is shallow but I suppose that little higher impact on this film would be empathy from people for those kids who wants that revenge.

Acting is OK but nothing worth of praise and none of the actors in this film stands up. Atmosphere and locations are rather good but unfortunate try to make this film horror genre lacks enough scariness and dark sensations that they try to show through this film, beside that, there isn't even blood and gore to replace that lack of story so this film should be viewed only as drama/thriller with few scary scenes.

However my rating maybe is low due to fact that I didn't like this film but I simply cannot tell watch it. However if someone is willing to watch it, don't even try to expect much from it.

Glorified High School production

[i_york · 3/10 · 4 August 2010]

This movie appears to draw inspiration from the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the Saw franchise, but fails to impress due to wooden acting, a woeful script, an almost complete lack of visual effects and poor character development. The whole movie basically feels like a glorified high school stage play with largely very amateurish acting. As a result, this movie ends-up being a rather boring affair... the abysmal acting and script conspire to wreck any sense of immersion into the already weak story. The premise of 'The Final' is sound and this movie could have been very good with the right production values and budget (not forgetting decent actors). Instead, check-out the British movie Outlaw for a much more accomplished revenge and retribution flick.

Interesting, to say the least

[paul_haakonsen · 7/10 · 18 May 2010]

Well this movie was a surprise. I was expecting some mediocre mass-produced horror flick, but it proved to be much more than that.

There is a genuine disturbing aspect to the story of this movie. It shows the darker and scarier sides of mankind's mentality and the lengths of which some will go. Of course, what happens in the movie is a bit out there and a bit too over the top, but still there is some sense of disturbing reality to it. And that is what makes this movie so cool, the essence of its twisted character.

The cast of the movie did a good job in bringing their characters to life in believable ways, and hats off to them for that. For without these performances the movie would not work as well as it did.

And it was also a nice touch to see references to other horror movies, especially the reference to one of my all time ever favorite horror movies, the Japanese movie "Audition". This surely brought a smile to my lips.

This movie is not scary in the tradition sense of trying to scare you out of your seat, but it plants a seed of forebrooding dread, a seed that blooms throughout the movie as the events come to be. This movie gets under your skin and will stay with you for some time, as it bears many similarities to events that have happened throughout the years, or events that would very likely come to happen.

I recommend this movie strongly, especially if you like movies that give you stuff to think about. Do not expect to be scared out of your mind, but know that you will be in for some psychological thrills and scares.

This movie should not be missed.

Revenge of the Nerds meets Jigsaw

[TheXeroXone · 7/10 · 25 February 2011]

Not a great film, but not as horrible the run of the mill torture fests that have been pumped out as of late. The torture scenes are, for the most part, very badly acted out (with the notable exception of Emily's character) with very little blood (there's more blood in an Indiana Jones fight scene), but also very poetic as each bully and princess is confronted with their own crime and "punished" accordingly.

Granted this film probably wont do for school bullies what Fatal Attraction did for adulterers, but its definitely a step in that direction. Don't believe me? Take a look at the message boards for this film and look at all the posts coming from people scared that people are going to take this film literally.

As you watch this film, please remember that society and its shared ethics are based on a willingness to co-exist. When all is said and done, what have you done to make people want to co-exist with you? When people are no longer willing, will someone be coming for you?

Seemed like a great idea but it still goes wrong.

[Boba_Fett1138 · 6/10 · 5 July 2010]

It's a bit of shame. This movie seemed to have some real potential, due to its concept but it still manages to go wrong, pretty early on in the movie already. It's still a movie with lots of great ideas and some good moments but the movie doesn't really known how it wants to make you feel and the movie therefore feels confusing and messy.

Let's face it; the premise of having a bunch of bullies get taken revenge on by their 'victims' sounds like an awesome idea, you can do so much good and interesting with. Lots of stuff that you can cheer for, since everybody till some extend can definitely identify with the bullied persons in this movie. And while the movie does this at points it also really crosses the lines of morality. Seriously, how is what these kids are doing in their movie any less worse than those kids who did those school shootings because they always got bullied, or for whatever other reason? The movie doesn't really seem to know how it wants to make you feel. The one moment you are really sympathizing for the bullied persons, who are taking revenge but at others you are disgusted and shocked by the way they are taking their revenge.

But it definitely is a movie that is still being mostly entertaining. It isn't being too heavy on its subject and it just doesn't try to handle it too seriously. This is what still makes "The Final" a very watchable movie. Even when the movie really starts to cross the border you won't get too disturbed by it, due to the entire way the movie got shot and set up.

The entire premise of this movie might sound gory but the horror fans will still most likely miss some real good gore and disturbing shocking moments in this. It definitely is no "Saw" or "Hostel", though the movie might sound like that. I don't even remember really any blood in this. It's not because they didn't wanted to have any probably but more because they simply couldn't. It's not a very high budget movie, which is OK, since the movie does very well with the resources it did have.

It's a good enough movie, that just doesn't live up to its premise and potential well enough.

6/10

http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/

Pretty terrible piece of low budget trash.

[santisodapop · 3/10 · 20 August 2010]

This movie was pretty terrible. Poor script. Poor, cliché acting, and terrible editing. People rave that this is clever and cool. How? Bloody revenge by nerds is supposed to be cool and clever? Really?! The popular kids were extreme caricatures. Is the message to applaud violence and remember to beware of the nerds? Are we supposed to be rooting for these not-so popular kids? I give it three stars cause the little Gothic girl was actually pretty good. But the rest was AWFUL. Waste your time if you want a good laugh. he story is weak. The characters are underdeveloped and the script is lacking anything remotely redeeming. This falls under the category of torture porn for high schoolers. High school sucks. Get over it. Life gets better. Sure it's full of hardships but is violence the only recourse? I'm not sure if this was supposed to be a comedy or not. I liken this to being as good as From Justin to Kelly with lots of blood. Watch it if you have nothing else better to do.

Not to be missed

[Tracieew · 9/10 · 1 October 2010]

I was told to watch this from some of my friends under the pre-tense that it was chilling. I was not disappointed. It starts of showing what most schools are like, you have the popular kids who are beautiful and basically rule the school, and then you have the kids who are the outcasts. They are bullied everyday, all day for no apparent reason. This of course causes them great distress and so they decide to band together to get revenge. There is an atmosphere of tension throughout the film, which makes it impossible to turn away. There are some truly horrid scenes which aren't very gory but will make you grit your teeth and hope it ends soon. The actors did a good job on both parts to portray normal kids who have gone a bit "mad" and of being tortured. I recommend that you watch this

Not for everyone, but an interesting look at bullying/torture.

[jlandwer · 7/10 · 1 February 2010]

Yes, I'll go ahead and say that first and foremost, this movie is not for everyone. If you can't stand torture, you will simply not like The Final. For those who do, this movie is a rare gem that didn't rely on the gore factor, but earns its praise through terrific acting. I was really looking forward to this movie as a part of Horrorfest, but expected the acting to bring its quality down a peg. I was dead wrong, other than some stuck-up cheerleader types who were played a little over the top for my taste, the actors playing both hunter and hunted did a tremendous job. There are a few moments where you'll say "why doesn't so and so do this to escape" or "what's going on behind the scenes here". Some minor characters had flaws as well, but were given little to work with in their respective roles. I don't really believe there are more than a handful of 10/10 movies out there, and this one just doesn't make that cut. I give it a 7 because I would've liked to see more development, and there were truly things I would've changed in the script. Overall though, a great job building tension and suspense.

Overlong, but had some merits. Could have been better with editing.

[mike_brunton · 3/10 · 18 March 2010]

First of all, this movie was way too long. It ran to 90 minutes but would have been better sticking to 75-80 with some more editing. Acting was fair although of course there were no 'stand out' performances from the young cast. The setting of the story in a high school and the plot -revenge are of course nothing new, it was therefore up to the writer and director to create some shock value. Unfortunately in the age of SAW and their ilk going down the route of gore doesn't really work. I think some writers and directors really need to review a lot of old classics to see how enticing great acting is. Of course great acting is helped with some really good lines and an imaginative plot that speaks to all people not just a sub sector of society. Is it just me, or are too many horror movies made these days with the teen American market in mind and who cares about anyone else? I would add though, that I have always liked American high schools as a setting; they being a natural melting pot of races,classes,political views,and societies. Here there were 99% white with a token African-American thrown in and the worst stereotypes imaginable. I gave this movie a 5 because horror is nearly my favorite genre, if it wasn't I would have given it a 3, and probably not have made it to the very weary end.

Not Very Good

[Athanatos173 · 1/10 · 15 March 2010]

Not a very well thought out movie, there were too many errors in editing, such as someone dying and then suddenly back in the movie again, way too many times to count.

It really looked like they just took the reel of film and distributed it without watching it themselves, as it is impossible to overlook these mistakes.

The acting was pretty good for a low budget movie, especially Lindsay Seidel and Jascha Washington, but the script is too far fetched and not very believable.

I wouldn't recommend this movie to anyone, as there are far better movies of this general type out there, and they don't look and feel as though some first year film school student directed it.

Wow, was this bad. Acting??

[ccblazer · 2/10 · 19 March 2010]

The tale of the nerds getting revenge on the bullies. Sound familiar. That's what we get in this movie. What we don't get is any characters that we care about. or believe. Yes, they are nerds but not that nerdy. The bullies are your standard fare that we've grown accustomed to. But what really ruins this is the acting and I use this term lightly. The acting is atrocious, the school girls the worst I've ever seen. Really, in the end i wanted all the characters to die. Maybe they did, I turned it off at about 45 minutes. Not an original line, character or bit of thought went into this. But i did laugh a few times although it wasn't intended by the movie. A nerd wears a gas mask and the moronic bullies don't know who it is and are surprised when they find out. Duh. There was a supposed torture scene that was hysterically bad. I don't think I've ever seen a dumber scene. Don't waste your time here. This truly is not a Horror-fest film.

A borderline pass.

[BA_Harrison · 5/10 · 22 June 2013]

I love a good revenge fantasy wherein the viewer can put themselves in the shoes of the downtrodden as they dish out justice to deserving jerks, but it's unlikely that many people will experience such satisfaction with this particular film, the high-school outcasts who plan to get even with their tormentors going way too far in their quest for retribution. Not only does the film fail as a satisfying revenge flick, but it is also barely passes as a torture-porn style horror, with not nearly enough eye-watering graphic gore to satisfy the genre's bloodthirsty fans.

Where the film works best is as a cautionary tale, showing exactly what can happen if one allows a desire for revenge to become all-consuming; the film makes it abundantly clear that such a path can only lead to suffering for ALL involved. Sadly, although the film might possibly work as a deterrent for potential vengeful nerds, I doubt that bullies will get the message that picking on the weak is wrong: most of them are far too stupid to grasp that concept.

Shockingly Tasteful

[jamesofthedead2991 · 8/10 · 15 March 2010]

I was apprehensive when I approached The Final, choice cut of Afterdark Horrorfest 2010. Any movie portraying school related violence runs the risk of offending many, but The Final, crafted with this in mind, scores a home-run by walking the tightrope and putting on a class act.

The main characters were anti-heroes, to be sympathized with, but certainly not to be admired (even by the most disturbed of movie goers). I personally appreciated the well crafted chemistry among the villains. The violence was well orchestrated as well. The film relied more on suspense than gore, something to be admired in a horror film these days.

Overall, The Final proved to a highly entertaining piece, while delivering some serious catharsis when the credits rolled to those of us who feared offense. It's not perfect in all its areas, but it was the best of the Horrorfest, as far as I'm concerned.

Don't even try it, sooo bad...

[quaquaque · 1/10 · 20 August 2011]

Terrible movie in every aspect, with an absolute lame plot (kids bullied at school turn into sadistic killers, soo stupid and absurd) , terrible acting, full of clichés, total absence of tension, an so on and on... this film is so moronic, trying to be ¨profound¨ with script lines so pathetic like ¨you made me a monster¨ or ridiculous moments like the lotion that the kids prepared that first feel good and then turn into acid! hahaha so idiotic, they are like chemical nerds my goodness...and the kids dresses who can be frightened with a guy dresse like an ss officer in 2011!! and the clown my god he looks like a 12 year old kid, wtf!! please avoid this piece of crap, period!

Premise good... Movie bad.

[mdf-87936 · 3/10 · 28 July 2020]

There's really not much I can say about this movie other than it's premise was a very good one. However, it fell flat on it's face due to it's over the topness (if that's even a word). There is nothing I enjoy more than to watch bad people get what's coming to them. Films like Taken, Man on Fire, heck even Missing In Action give me that satisfaction. This one just doesn't quite do it for me. The one thing that gets me is that the bullies are waaaay over the top. It's as if the people who wrote this moved from infancy to adulthood skipping their teenage years all together and guessing on how they act. Yes there are jocks and cheerleaders and certain cliques; but they tried too hard to stereotype them. I'm just glad this movie wasn't out when I was in highschool. I'd hate to think what the nerds would've done to me. Okay, I'm finished. I better make some phone calls and apologize to certain people before they get any ideas.

Basically outcasts fight back

[madchefks · 7/10 · 22 February 2013]

This starts out as a simple , honor student vs Joe quarterback / prom queen .. High tempo , fast paced and to the point .

Simple revenge quickly escalates out of control .. Exciting simple movie ... A few gory parts , making it interesting to the traditional horror viewer But noting very extensive .... Just what you have come to expect ....from good vs bad rich vs poor... Little comedy or satire slices fitting into a well orchestrated plan of revenge and twisted justice ... All in all "b" grade cast "b" grade acting and a grade "A"simple storyline

If you can make it past the acting and the script the movie is quite enjoyable... Simple fun Friday night

Flawed but interesting

[birdieleigh · 7/10 · 9 September 2012]

I will start out by telling you straight: the first act of this movie is terrible. The acting is terrible, the setup is terrible, almost all of it is terrible. But you should keep watching. Trust me, if you try to watch this you will think I'm insane for about the first 20 minutes. But you should keep watching.

Not for the acting (although it does improve, especially with the outcasts). Not for the film quality (low budget) or the gore effects (almost none, and again--low budget). Keep watching for the story, because it is this film's best asset. It is riddled with ideas: who is truly evil here? What is the meaning of consequence? How much power lies in our words and actions? At it's core, The Final is not a revenge movie. It is about consequence. It is about realizing that the way you treat other people can be monumental--in both good and bad ways. No one is right here. No one is safe. The Final is unsettling, but its message is worthy of attention.

It's a far from perfect movie--Horrorfest films are always hit or miss. The Final has a lot of potential and I really wish someone with a bigger budget could get their hands on the story, because it could be so much better. But I still found myself, at the end of the movie, feeling moved by the plight of the characters. And that, to me, made it worth it.

"What you refused to see with reason, you will understand with wrath."

Not as good as anticipated

[yeomansk · 3/10 · 30 June 2010]

Tthis film could have been much better, it feels as if the film makers couldn't be bothered to make an entire film and spent all the time and money on the build up, and absolutely rushed, and ultimately killed the ending (pun not intended). the only reason I'm giving it a 3 out of 10 is because i like the story and original concept but no... it was not well made at all and seemed rushed.

i feel maybe if a better film maker with are far bigger budget would be able to turn this below average film into a blockbuster or cult classic. however i must repeat; in this form i WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS FILM TO ANYONE!!

There are more like us out there.

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 6/10 · 11 March 2013]

Bullies are in every school in America, not matter what they seem to do to end it. It is the nature of kids to one-up each other. There are many who have such a problem with their self-esteem that they must take it out on others to feel good.

We are not distracted here by "name" actors. All are from TV shows that I have heard of, but never watched. They won't be on any Emmy list.

So much the better, as we can focus on the story.

It is a shame that these kids experienced so much pain that they were driven to do what they did. You could feel that pain, and you knew it was going to end badly.

What you didn't know was that it was all for naught, as their pain went unrecognized.

And, so it continues.

When the Predator becomes the Prey

[MelonTheCreeker · 2/10 · 25 March 2010]

"The Final" is a movie about a group of tormented teenage school kids who are constantly humiliated by the more popular and stronger bullies. This isn't the first movie to touch on the bullying subject but this movie shows what happens when the tormented finally snap and decide to take justice into their own hands in the most brutal way possible.

Unfortunately there isn't a lot to like about this movie. The storyline isn't the most original so it really needed strong performances in the acting and the way the story was told. However this failed miserably in both departments. In my opinion the movie was rushed. We got a very brief insight into the world of the bullied. We don't know enough about the characters to care for them. Both worlds (nerds and the popular) were too extreme. By the time the bullies were getting tortured, i felt no sympathy for any of them because i hated them so much. It was like they weren't human. They were programmed to be the worst of the nastiest people without a shred of remorse for their actions. So why would the viewer care what happens to them when the tables are turned? This also takes away the scary factor that the movie may have been trying to create, because all the viewer wants is for these arrogant fools to be killed so we never have to see or hear them again.

The acting. This is my biggest problem. The girls especially. Way too overacted. It was almost comedy worthy. As i said earlier, the characters seemed too extreme to be taken seriously.

Overall, an interesting idea that could have worked if it was made properly. It really felt like a group of teenagers got together to make a torture film in the style of hostel and were too impatient to get to the gruesome scenes, therefore not concentrating on the more important elements to movie making.

** for this movie

Yes, I loved it!

[kornvlaxter · 10/10 · 28 March 2010]

This is definitely one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. The plot is very good and very well mixed with gore, cruelty and revenge. The movie does not contain cheesy scenes and every action is well justified and based on a strong reason. What I also liked about the acting is that you could read the characters' feelings and thoughts on their facial expression. Anger, hate, despair, mercilessness, fear, pain... all perfectly scarred on their faces!

If you are a high school student, whether you are a bully or a nerd, this is a movie in which you can find an important lesson of how to properly behave with your colleagues. This lesson is taught in a sadistic and brutal way, though, and it is based on a dark philosophy grown in those bullied students' minds.

All in all, if you are a fan of drama/horror movies, then this is the perfect one for you! I might say it is even better than "Bang Bang, you're dead!".

Could have been better, but fairly entertaining horror flick

[cadillac20 · 6/10 · 2 April 2010]

I'm always down for a good revenge flick, especially when it combines with horror, like the Last House on the Left remake. Going into The Final, I kind of expected a bit more horror, so it's a bit disappointing that it skimps on the torture porn, which it initially makes itself out to be. The horror elements are still there, but it's a combination of the lack of torture scenes and sub par elements that make the film less than what it could have been.

The film sets itself up as your typical story about tormented high school students who very much are outcasts. The outcasts are pretty much what you'd expect them to be, and the bullies are predictably evil. One touch I enjoyed was that the bullies recognized who they were and were quite gleeful in being evil. So, in a sense they were more so villains than mere bullies. Anyway, the outcasts setup a big party for all the popular tormentors, and the party turns into a big horror fest as the bullied take their revenge.

For the most part, the set up is very promising. The bullies are happily despicable and it creates good anticipation for what's to come. You really want to see these bullies pay. But when it finally comes, we get a few minor torture scenes. Most of the torture is psychological, with a few students getting some gruesome elements (a few fingers cut off, some burnt skin). However, the real issue lies in the lack luster writing and acting. While I understand this is B-grade stuff, when I see something B-grade, I don't take it seriously. So, once the revenge begins, I found it hard to take the outcasts seriously. The worst of the bunch was the main bully, who starts out as a tough guy, bully, and football star and quickly transforms into a big fat crybaby. Even his evil girlfriend has more spine than this guy. I found that pathetic and though, at the very least, they could have built this guys breakdown over the period of the film.

However, even the outcasts are a problem. From the single female outcast taking on some sort of persona, via The White Queen from the new Wonderland film, to the outcast leader who goes from a scared kid being bullied to some stoic and poetic leader giving speeches. I guess it could be believable, but the acting is just so sub par that it isn't, and is in fact laughable at times. But, the actors can only do so much with what their given, so I blame the writers for most of the laughable dialog and plot turns.

That isn't to say that the film doesn't have some entertainment value. Again, the initial setup is great. Though heavily clichéd, it none the less sets the film up very well. And the payoff is half there. The revenge elements are fairly disturbing when present and the revenge given to the lead bully is suitable, refreshing, and enjoyable. There are also plenty of nasty bits, with the aforementioned fingers, burning skin, some traps, and a cattle gun. Going into the film, however, I knew that bad acting and an all around production was probably part of it. And being part of the Horrorfest collection, one doesn't have high hopes. So, I had hoped that there would be some more creative revenge elements and probably twice as many of them. Instead, the filmmakers tried to throw in plenty of drama and suspense that just fails.

All in all, I can recommend the film to anyone interested in a decent horror revenge flick. However, the film really fails to stand up against all others in this sub genre. Which is unfortunate, because it has such a great setup.

Not a role model among them inc the Continuity script from Syfy

[artisannes · 1/10 · 20 June 2011]

It would appear that the message here is that the sadistic kids who torture the bullying kids (lopping off fingers, paralysing, disfiguring and so on) can be excused for their behaviour because they had suffered enormously at their victims' hands. Well it is far from being alright and I am unimpressed by this unpleasant film that I saw on the Horror Channel.

I was equally unimpressed by the flimsy intro given by the Sy Fy 'Horror Booth's' continuity presenter, which chose to reference the Columbine massacre as if it was an earlier and disappointing film for its lack of torture and real horror and went (I quote) as follow: "It's not always easy being different and in High School, as we all know, their social system really can be murder - you see you got your Plastics and the Jocks, then there's the Geeks and Goths and the two can never mix. Well, there you have it coming, you see after a while, all that torture and humiliation and bullying and cruelty can get a bit, well - get a bit too much, so much that one day the Geeks and the Goths might just - makes gesture with secateurs.

So the tables are turned on the bullies in this high school horror film, which rings more than a few alarm bells of the Columbine massacre when you think about the storyline. This time however the revenge of the Nerds is taken to the new and gory level of torture and it's surprisingly chilling as well as nasty. Set largely during a costume party the bullies are all drugged, chained up and about to learn the harshest lesson of their mediocre shallow lives. So bullies, beware, cause your time is up."