By Steph Cannon
How would you spend your last day on Earth during the waning moments before an inevitable apocalypse? It’s a heavy thought, and one that isn’t easily defined with a single, simple answer. FINAL DAYS: TALES FROM THE END TIMES, an anthology film starring Robert LaSardo, Kayla Kelly, Seth Boyer, and Rodney B. Snyder, takes a poignant, gripping, and realistic look at how people handle their final hours before the end of the world.
FINAL DAYS weaves together five stories of individuals in vastly varied circumstances, while also splicing in an overarching segment centered around a news reporter covering the day’s events. As the movie unfolds, the dots begin to connect and moreover what exactly is occurring, and the reasons behind it.
First up is “The Apocalypse Smells Like Cookies”, written and directed by Ben Harl, which focuses on two goofy guys who attempt to summon a demon. Everything that can go wrong during their crazy experiment does, in fact, occur, often in humorous ways. It’s a fun way to kick things off, and wraps up in a hilarious scene, which gives the audience a false sense of security from the peril about to unfold.
That comfort doesn’t last long, however, as “Bugout”, written and directed by Josh Brucker takes us down a more dramatic path. Shot mostly through a personal cam, it covers a popular podcaster/doomsday prepper as he treks outside to get away from the impending danger unfolding in the city. This is an intriguing introduction to the bleakness of what’s happening, giving a better understanding as to how utterly doomed society is.
“Apocalypse Eve”, written and directed by Michael Gregory, is by far the most emotional of the five stories, and follows a young couple seeking refuge in an abandoned home. While the concept may be the simplest of the installments, it manages to pack in more anguish and character insight than the others. It’s a moving, heartbreaking respite from the growing intensity of the looming catastrophe.
“Gramma”, written and directed by Dillon Brown, throws all calmness out the window with the most horror-centric tale of the bunch. A desperate granddaughter tries in vain to keep her grandmother locked away in their home because, well…something is very wrong with Gramma. Stating any more would give too much away, and this is a gripping, terrifying look at how far we’ll go for those we love.
Wrapping the film up is “Contingency”, written and directed by Ash Hamilton, and co-written by John Elder, and Stephen Taylor. Tying together the approaching apocalypse with the ongoing news reels, this is when everything goes completely bonkers. There’s so much going on during the last few heart-stopping minutes that you won’t want to look away. However you would view how the end of the world would go down, this likely captures all of it.
FINAL DAYS: TALES FROM THE END TIMES sinks its teeth in you from the very first frames and doesn’t let up until the final credits roll. By then, you’ve been taken on an emotional roller coaster that will leave you with feelings of sadness, terror, and hopelessness…which is exactly how an apocalyptic tale should be. This is a unique, moving, and fresh perspective on the end of the world.
FINAL DAYS: TALES FROM THE END TIMES is available on Prime Video and will be releasing across multiple streaming platforms starting March 28th.