The Last Days - 12 Wochen nach der Panik

Apocalyptic movies are some of the most overdone, repetitive, and terrible movies that keep being created, and that is coming from a huge fan of the genre. Unlike most other apocalypse style movies "The Last Days" pulls out new a creative conflict that is not often considered instead of using one of the vanilla end of the world scenarios. "The Last Days" does a phenomenal job of creating relatable and believable human conflict that drives the characters to make decisions that in turn drive the story. The mixture of successes and failures experienced by the characters blends beautifully into the story and leaves you feeling the same emotions as the protagonist. With that in mind the special effects are not great but are not used enough to degrade the story at all. A must watch for any apocalypse fan.

A mysterious epidemic similar to agoraphobia but with fatal outcome, extends worldwide, so that people cannot go outside, they were forced to take refuge in buildings and other enclosed spaces. Marc a computer programmer trapped in his company will try to meet his girl through the subway line and makeshift tunnels.

The new Pastor Brothers film, (Carriers 2009), is visually very powerful, both in photography and in the types of plans, showing an unusual Barcelona, scorched and desolate, but mostly deserted, with streets and avenues without a soul, a lawless city.

Good attempt at criticism from managers trying to make us reflect on our current way of life, so far from our natural origins. That with the help of a well-selected soundtrack might make more conscious thought to the room.

In terms of in script, it is the Achilles heel of the movie, because development of the story is very predictable, full of clichés and are not surprising, what is worst of all, dealing with an original idea in which people cannot go outside, it is unable to generate anxiety and claustrophobia in the viewer, giving the feeling that we are again faced an adventure story before an almost apocalyptic thriller.

6/10

Los Ultimos Dias is quite simply one of the best Sci-fis I've seen in years. Apocalyptic in style and set amidst the backdrop of Barcelona it explores several modern themes: our ever increasingly insular, urban and isolated lifestyles and our obsession with individualism and self reliance.

Directors David and Alex Pastor deliver us these themes with European subtlety; never lecturing nor forcing the point in a way American cinema seems often too frightened to attempt with this genre; a film for adults comparable and, dare I say it, even better than The Road (although not quite as morbid).

I suspect the subtitles will put some English speakers off, which is a shame as the script is tight enough, the sets visual enough, and the acting engaging enough, as to hardly notice them; so lost I was at times in this dark, apocalyptic, nightmare.

More ambitious European projects please! I may be English but I still find myself relating more to a Spanish sci-fi than to the heavy handed, patronising, spoon-fed treacle that constantly oozes from Hollywood.

"Los Ultimos Dias" is an excellent offering in the post apocalyptic sci- fi sub genre, in the best tradition of films like "The Road" and "Blindness". The story has a simple premise: what if, one day, for unknown reasons humans are unable to survive out in the open? "Los Ultimos Dias" tackles this premise head on and cleverly plays out the consequences of how humanity would deal with this problem, how would it move about, how would it find food, etc. The acting is solid throughout, as is the cinematography and the special effects, which were never unconvincing or distracting. The story itself is very well told, nicely paced, and never stretches believability. I'd also like to mention the wonderful musical score that beautifully complemented the visuals. This was an engaging, intelligent, and beautiful film that I can't wait to watch again.

What a pleasant surprise! The plot for this movie sounds fairly thin and uninteresting, but the storytelling and characters make it much more compelling than expected. The story is grim yet the audience feels for the lead characters who are determined to prevail for motivations that could seem sappy but come across as noble.

The premise sounds simplistic but the storytelling is intriguing. We find ourselves in a recently post-apocalyptic world; the cause this time: People develop a fear of going outside. Through flashbacks that are visually woven into the story, we see how a few people seeming go crazy and won't leave the building they're in, or die in the process. This overwhelms more people until everyone is trapped in the building they were in when "The Panic" hit them. The story doesn't dwell on the cause but exploring the consequences.

The story packs a lot of emotion and drama with vivid characters portrayed well by the lead actors. The look of the movie, the score, the turns in the plot, and the characters' evolution come together to create dramatic punch. I look forward to more movies from the Pastor brothers.