These Final Hours

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....

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.

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.

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.

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