[yasr_overall_rating]
A self-obsessed young man makes his way to the party-to-end-all-parties on the last day on Earth, but ends up saving the life of a little girl searching for her father. Their relationship ultimately leads him on the path to redemption.
“These Final Hours” introduces you to a world where a meteor is about to hit earth and we are told its impact will be catastrophic, worldwide. James (Nathan Phillips) and his girlfriend Zoe (Jessica De Gouw) are at their beach house overlooking the ocean, where the tidal wave of fire from the meteor’s impact, is expected to hit in the next ten hours. After informing him that she is pregnant, James decides he wants to attend the last big party on earth at his friend Freddy’s place. He wants to get so jacked up on cocaine and booze that when the end finally arrives, he won’t feel a thing.
So off he sets, leaving his pregnant girlfriend on her own so he can party. Along the way though, he is carjacked by a machete-yielding maniac and in an attempt to possess another vehicle, he sees a van pull into the driveway of a house and two men exit the vehicle carrying a young girl, Rose (Angourie Rice), screaming for help. Initially, James ignores her pleas and enters the van but just as he is about to leave, he hears her shouting out and reluctantly makes his way inside. He dispatches the men and calms the girl down where they proceed to get into the van and leave.
She informs him that she needs to find her father but he lets her know that he’s on his way to a party and maybe someone there might be able to drive her. After reaching his intended destination, with everyone partying wildly and out of control, James can’t stop thinking of Zoe and realizes that leaving her by herself was a huge mistake and he takes Rose with him, in the hopes that he can reunite her with her father and make it to the beach in time to be with Zoe by the world’s end. What sets this apart from other end-of-the-world themed movies, is that its main focus is on that of a man who cares only about himself.
With films like “I am Legend,” “War of the Worlds” and “The Terminator,” the central characters are caring people who are willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good. All James wants to do is party until he passes out so he won’t feel a thing. Not a bad way to go, if you’re single or attending said party with your family and friends but with a young girl who is desperate to reunify with her father and a pregnant girlfriend sitting in a beach house all by herself, James’s priorities begin to shift until he finally contemplates what is truly important during these final hours.
Nathan Phillips gives a fearless performance as James, a man who has made his fair share of mistakes throughout his life and thankfully, director Zak Hilditch never rushes his transformation from a self-absorbed delinquent to a nurturing and sympathetic human being who will kill to protect those close to him. Every situation he encounters, forces him to make a decision that will influence the very fabric of his nature so by the end of the movie, you find yourself rooting for him and wishing he had more than only a few hours remaining. “These Final Hours” is a first-rate thriller that is highly recommended.
On Blu-ray and DVD May May 12th
