Final Days is now available to rent, buy or stream.
Pandemic-themed horrors are here to stay, especially given recent events, but while a few have managed to reflect the absolute horror of lockdown, others have faltered. Final Days is sadly one that falters as it attempts to explore pandemic themes within a tried and tested zombie format. In fact, the only remotely engaging segment of director Johnny Martin’s lacklustre horror is a brief appearance from Donald Sutherland mid-way through. Martin’s film is void of bite as a troop of bland and decidedly laughable zombies usher in the apocalypse while Tyler Posey walks around his apartment half-naked.
I predominantly found myself far more interested in Tyler’s tattoos than in the potential end of humanity as the ex-Teen Wolf star got naked as much as possible. Of course, I am not complaining, but Tyler’s bare midriff on repeat is hardly riveting viewing. As a result, we are offered no more than one and a half hours of abs and no story. This is not a direct criticism of Posey’s performance, as he does everything possible with the lacklustre script, but the body shots are clearly a cheap ploy to cover the tracks of a decidedly weak screenplay.
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On waking up next to a random girl (who soon vanishes), Aiden (Tyler Posey) has little recollection of the night before. But, as he pulls his arse out of bed, Aiden’s morning is about to descend into the pits of hell. Aiden opens the curtains to witness a handful of people running around covered in blood before a helicopter crashes into a nearby highrise. A hangover and the apocalypse aren’t the best mix, as Aiden quickly pulls on his pants before his freshly-bitten neighbour (the first of many zombies to threaten his security) attempts to invade his flat. Fearing more zombie neighbours are on their way, Aiden quickly barricades himself into the apartment with a fridge. We then spend the next thirty minutes watching Posey’s beard grow as he records a video diary nobody will see nor care about, including us! But, just when Aiden is ready to end it all with a makeshift noose, he spots an uninfected girl from his window.
Eva (Summer Spiro) lives in the apartment opposite Aiden, her immaculate hair, makeup and clothes hiding the fact that she has no running water, little food and no electricity. Of course, Aiden finds himself immediately transfixed by the young woman, and a new mission forms in his mind. He must protect Eva at all costs and make babies as soon as possible. But how can he support and woo her when a zombie-riddled courtyard separates them?
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The story is riddled with ridiculous plot holes, laughable dialogue and zombies who never manage to generate an ounce of fear. However, one interesting sequence could have saved Final Days, given more time and development. In this sequence, Donald Sutherland and Tyler Posey meet unexpectedly in a neighbouring flat as they search for food – the tension of their meeting growing as they attempt to understand each other’s motives. Aiden is innocent to the horror Sutherland’s character, Edward, is hiding until it comes into view. However, the promising horror of this short interlude is quickly discarded in favour of Aiden and Eva’s love story and their mission for zombie-free babies.
Unfortunately, Final Days’ attempt to reflect our current pandemic world within a classic zombie horror format never gets off the ground with a screenplay that is a jumble of ideas and a lazy love story that is often painful to watch. As a short film, it possibly could have worked, but as a feature Final Days only made, we wish the world was ending!
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