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[The Final]
Plot:In the scenic and remote county of Rocky Branch, Texas, the Workley ranch house would become the infamous scene known internationally on the internet as "The Final." Dane, an awkward student with a deadly vendetta and suicidal tendencies, leads a group of outcasts who plot to avenge the years of humiliation they faced by the popular students at Hohn High School. Employing ideas inspired both from their classes as well as from horror films they watched, the outcasts turn the tables on the popular students who made sport of them. After receiving a lake-house granted to him in his uncle's will, Dane and his friends, Jack, Ravi, Andy and Emily prepare for a single night that will leave their tormentors scarred for life...physically and emotionally.
Cast:Marc Donato,
Jascha Washington,
Whitney Hoy,
Justin Arnold,
Travis Tedford,
Julin,
Lindsay Seidel,
Mark Nutter,
Hunter Garner,
Eric Isenhower,
Preston Flagg,
Matthew Posey,
Laura Ashley Samuels,
Vincent Silochan,
Farah White.
My Thoughts:Unexpectedly above average horror/thriller.
Review:"The Final" falls into the category of a revenge horror/thriller film. The movie follows a group of kids, who aren't really outcasts, but nonetheless, because they aren't considered one of the really, really pretty/perfect people at their High School, are considered outcasts by a group which consists of the usual jocks and not-too-bright party girls. You can pretty much see where this film is headed, but the writing is good enough to keep the movie from becoming a predictable revenge-terror romp where you either get bored really quickly, or hang your head at the lamness of it all.
The movie really takes the time to flesh out it's characters, and add some meat to the story, before things turn tragic. It also gives us a middle-man character so to speak, someone who doesn't fit with this group of so-called outcasts, but at the same time, has a heart good enough to keep themselves from falling in with the group of mean-spirited bully-kids. So this character adds a whole new dimension to what could've been an otherwise disasterous movie.
The movie allows you to see what's coming, and while some people may find that predictability offensive and disappointing, I didn't. Because while the movie makes it known that this situation will turn into a scenario where the outcasted and picked on kids seek revenge against their tormentors, it takes different liberties, changes direction, and really throws in enough twists, turns, and fresh ideas to not allow what you know is coming, to be boring or tedious at all. The way it's shot, which was on a small budget and without any well-known actors, also gave it a more realistic feel and tone.
The film gets ugly when the picked-on kids plot to abduct their specific group of tormentors from a party, and take them to a farmhouse out in the middle of nowhere, where they can exact their revenge in a private setting. But things don't play out as easily or as expectedly as one would think. The film really brings a human element to it's characters, the bad kids, and the good kids who now, thanks to their actions of retribution, have a little bad in them.
The human element comes in when the writer puts forth the conundrum that these are indeed, still kids. Despite their anger, and rage at the group of kids who have tormented them for so long, they're still just kids. And while some amongst them are fine with this plan to slowly torture and kill their aggressors, others amongst them begin to have second thoughts. This inner turmoil, along with the kidnapping of the aforementioned "middle-man" character...adds some much needed spark, intrigue, and suspense to what could've played out as a predictable piece of cinema.
The movie blends in a lot of what you would expect, with a lot and in some cases, slightly more of what you wouldn't expect. This makes things a lot more entertaining to watch, and really makes it hard for you to predict how things will ultimately unfold and eventually conclude. There is also another character thrown into the mix as a red herring of sorts, as this characters behavior in an earlier scene in the film, keeps you guessing as to whether or not they will aid the kids in their revenge, or do the right thing and try and stop them.
The picture also brings forward a lot of social commentary about bullying, the tragic effects of it, stereotypes and the tragic effect of them, and there's an opening scene in the film which connects back to the movies final scene, and ties into the overall message of the movie, which in general is the consequences of human being mistreating other human beings for shallow and self-serving and in some cases, downright evil reasons.
"The Final" possesses a lot more depth, and maturity than most horror/thriller/revenge tales which focus on an abused person or persons finally seeking revenge. The film isn't very blood, gory, or super violent, but it's enough of all three to make the story it's trying to tell effective. That, coupled with a strong sense of tragedy and somberness embedded within the film, particularly within it's final act, is enough to make "The Final" by far THE BEST offering of Horrorfest 4. The film is definitely worth seeing atleast once.
Positives:Good acting by the young cast, strong story with a lot of different layers. The film has a lot of suspense, drama, tragedy, and clever storytelling. Lots of nice twists and unexpected moments as well.
Negatives:The ending is somewhat unfair, but makes sense from a storytelling standpoint, considering the writer and director were telling this particular story.
Overall:Three and a half stars out of four.
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