2013 Australian film
| These Final Hours |
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 Film poster |
| Directed by | Zak Hilditch |
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| Written by | Zak Hilditch |
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| Produced by | Liz Kearney |
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| Starring | Nathan Phillips
Angourie Rice
Jessica De Gouw |
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| Cinematography | Bonnie Elliott |
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| Edited by | Nick Meyers |
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| Music by | Cornel Wilczek |
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| Distributed by | Roadshow Films |
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Release dates |
- 2 August 2013 (2013-08-02) (Melbourne IFF)
- 31 July 2014 (2014-07-31) (Australia)
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Running time | 87 minutes |
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| Country | Australia |
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| Language | English |
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| Budget | $2.5 million |
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| Box office | $360,234[1] |
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These Final Hours is a 2013 Australian apocalypse thriller film directed by Zak Hilditch. It was selected to be screened as part of the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[2]
Plot
The film takes place in Perth, and begins 10 minutes after a meteor has collided with earth in the North Atlantic, leaving approximately twelve hours until the subsequent global firestorm reaches Western Australia. James and his lover, Zoe, are having sex for the last time at her beach house, where she reveals that she's pregnant with James' child. Not wanting to feel his inevitable death, James disregards Zoe's news and leaves for 'the party to end all parties'. After having his car stolen, he comes across two men who have kidnapped a young girl and are planning to rape her. James kills them, and rescues the girl. The girl, named Rose, explains that she was separated from her dad in Malaga en route to her aunt's house in Roleystone. Not wanting to waste petrol, James instead plans to leave her with his sister and her children. But upon arriving, he finds his sister and her husband dead in the shower, and three crosses marking what appears to be his nieces' graves, in what is an apparent murder suicide.
James then heads to the party, with Rose in tow. The party is overflowing with people, a game of Russian roulette is being played, and an orgy is going on inside the house. James meets with the host of the party, Freddy, whose sister is James girlfriend, Vicki. James leaves Rose in the pool while a heavily intoxicated Vicki shows him a bunker built underneath Freddy's garage. Emotional and angry, he tells her it won't work and that they will all die anyway, committing himself to reuniting Rose with her family. This upsets Vicki, and James's thoughts on the bunker anger Freddy. Meanwhile, outside, a drug affected woman follows Rose, claiming that she is her daughter, Mandy. She coerces Rose into taking an ecstasy pill, claiming that she can help Rose find her family.
When James finally comes back outside to find Rose, she is hallucinating and vomiting, with the woman leaning over her. James tries to leave the party with Rose, pushing the erratic woman away, leading an intoxicated Freddy to believe that James is physically abusing the woman. He then holds James at gunpoint, before Vicki calmly takes the gun and shoots the woman, letting James leave with Rose. James drives Rose to his estranged mother's house, with whom he reconciles whilst Rose recovers. She gives James petrol and Rose some old clothes, and the pair leave for Rose's aunt's house. Upon arrival, nobody seems to be home, but James finds the bodies of Rose's family, including her father, outside in what seems to be a mass suicide. Rose is hysterical at the news of her father's death, but insists on seeing him. James comforts her and brings her his body, and they lay him by a pond with flowers as she tells him that her dad wanted them to be together for the end. James then confides in Rose about his relationship with Zoe and her pregnancy, which leads him to realise his love for her. Rose convinces him to make amends with her while he still can. He heeds her advice, and the two share an emotional farewell before James leaves. His car overheats on the highway as the firestorm approaches, and he runs for the rest of the way. He finds Zoe on the beach, who is watching the approaching firestorm. She is initially hostile towards James, however the two quickly reconcile and confess their mutual love. The pair then embrace, and turn towards the ocean as they are consumed by the firestorm.
Reception
Box office
These Final Hours opened in a limited release across Australia, grossing $360,234 throughout its entire theatrical run.
Critical reception
These Final Hours received acclaim from critics and has a score of 77% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 30 reviews with an average rating of 7.1 out of 10. The critical consensus states "Writer-director Zak Hilditch's thought-provoking screenplay -- and a stellar performance from young Angourie Rice -- make These Final Hours worth watching, even if its end-of-the-world premise is overly familiar."[3]
