User reviews

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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....

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

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 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

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.

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.

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

Very entertaining and edgy. Good character development and plausible plot line. Set in Western Australia - amusing - in that in the 60s and 70s Perth people used to boast that it was a great city in which to live because if the world was coming to end it would get to Perth 10 years later! Great build up through the film and a thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking experience. Acting by Angourie Rice and Nathan Phillips was very polished. Great movie- would recommend. Have seen a few other end of the world movies but These Final Hours makes you think about what would your priorities be? Zak Hildich as writer director has created what I believe will be a significant contribution to Australian Cinema.

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.

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).

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.

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.