FILM4 FRIGHTFEST SPECIAL — REVIEW: THESE FINAL HOURS

There's been quite the horror resurgence in Australia of late. Jump started by Wolf Creek, the Oz Horror scene has also given us the likes of Charlie's Farm, Storm Warning, Wyrmwood and arguably the biggest genre flick of last year, The Babadook.

The recent Film4 FrightFest introduced another Down Under flick that has been making waves, Zak Hilditch's end of the world thriller, These Final Hours.

Would this be time well spent? Or would I be counting down the seconds until the end credits?

Read on...

THESE FINAL HOURS (2013)

Dir: Zak Hilditch

Starring: Nathan Phillips, Jessica De Gouw, Kathryn Beck, Angourie Rice, Daniel Henshall, Lynette Curran

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I'll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

The world is going to be destroyed. An unspecified but massive object has collided with the Earth, instantly obliterating the entire Northern hemisphere and sending a catastrophic destructive wave of fire out from the point of impact that will utterly annihilate anything and everything in its path. The people of Australia are told they have just eight short hours until it reaches them.

The film opens with irresponsible screw-up James (Phillips) in bed with Zoe (De Goew) pondering the unspeakable fate they face. Making an already unbearably poignant moment all-the-more heartbreaking, Zoe then reveals that she is expecting his baby.

James, never one to accept responsibility or man-up, promptly chooses to abandon her, instead opting to meet his long-term girlfriend Vicky (Beck) at the party to end all parties, thrown by Vicky's brother Freddy (Henshall). Here James intends to do drugs, drink, smoke and screw himself into oblivion.

However, on route James witnesses two deranged kidnappers dragging a young girl, Rose (Rice) into a house to suffer an unspeakable fate.

Unable to stand idly by, James intervenes and finds himself the custodian of the girl. He then agrees to help reunite Rose with her family in a world in which laws and society have crumbled in the face of the apocalypse. 

Can this flawed and broken man do the right thing for once? Can he save an innocent... and himself?

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Wow, These Final Hours blew me away. It works on every single level. The story, the filmmaking, the cast, the themes — it's utterly fantastic. 

Let's start with the story, taken from a fascinating premise that one can't help but hypothesise over — 'what would I do with just eight hours between me and certain doom?' — a story that boasts fantastic, well-rounded leads and plenty of great twists, turns and cul-de-sacs along the way.

It's compelling and provokes some genuine emotion (I felt quite choked up during some of the later scenes), not least because of some fantastic characterisation.

As flawed leads go, Phillip's James ticks all the boxes — selfish, weak, irresponsible, always making excuses — yet somehow we still root for him to eventually do the right thing, just once, and help the adorable Rose. This is thanks in no small part to the superb Phillips. His is a brave, honest performance, and makes for one of the most believable and tragic protagonists I've seen in some time. He is an excellent actor, a true star, and I sincerely hope to see more of him in the future.

Likewise Rice is a revelation — that rare thing, a child actor who is talented but doesn't come across as precocious or bratty. She is more than up to the considerable demands of the role, a role which is much more than just a plot device through which James is offered one last shot at redemption. Rice is a legitimate co-lead and she is just as good as her older partner. My sincerest congratulations on a wonderful job, young lady.

It is the interaction between the two of them that is the heart of the film. It encapsulates some of the strongest themes in the film — it's no small irony that after running from his unborn child James still finds himself in the role of guardian to a minor. There's no running from your parental responsibilities, a message echoed during an emotional visit to James' mother's (the excellent Curran) house. His mother has grown used to being let-down by her loser of a son, but when he comes calling there's still room for him. In fact, after witnessing the way in which James disappoints Vicky, Zoe and his Mum, we can't help but hope that Rose is the one lady he'll do right by.

The dialogue between him and his young charge sparkles, the delivery flawless. The story (written by director Hildritch) is surprisingly simple, but the richness of the characters ensures it remains totally captivating. Focusing on personal dilemmas and character arcs, the mysterious cataclysmic event that will end all life on earth is barely explained, but nor does it need to be — it's the MacGuffin used to spark the personal storylines that grip us.

Now all this talk of character-development and relationships may lead you to believe that this is a film that goes easy on the horror. This is not the case. We get some sudden and unexpected violence as James and Rose come across some individuals who have snapped in the face of inevitable doom and the bloody course they cut through the Australian landscape is horrifying. What's more there are some wonderful visual effects courtesy of Nathan Stone's talented team.

Yet despite the grimness of the story and the decidedly nasty events that occur on screen, the film is still gorgeously shot. Cinematographer Bonnie Elliot foregoes the usual dark and gloomy look of end of the world flicks, instead embracing the bright, blazing sun of the Australian setting, giving the film a dazzling, saturated look. It feels and looks very different to most genre efforts and ensures that Hildritch's eye for framing hits with optimum effect. Just one more hit in a film with very few misses.

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): Expect this section of the review to be very short.

One area in which it might suffer is the linear, uncomplicated nature of its storyline. As I said earlier, the plot is surprisingly simple and the biggest plot device, the world-ending catalyst is never truly explained. What's more, the very narrow focus on one or two major characters robs the film of scale. Some may be bothered by this, I however enjoyed it. Not giving us an explanation for the wave of destruction is a sound strategy, it stops all the DIY scientists from picking holes in the story, and ultimately, whatever it is that has caused the events of the film is largely irrelevant.

The narrow focus works because this is a film about one man learning to actually be a man before it's too late. It focuses on James' journey because THAT is what the film is really about.

However, there is a small setback here — the other characters do receive quite short shrift as they tend to be defined by their relationships with or actions towards James and Rose. The supporting cast of De Goew, Beck, Henshall and Curran are all excellent, but I do wish they'd all been given a bit more to do. Nevertheless they make the most of their screentime and there's only so long a film can be.

Finally, while there are some horrific scenes it's worth pointing out that this is more of a very dark apocalyptic thriller than a true horror movie. If you want chainsaws, a bodycount in double figures, scenes of prolonged torture and keyboard-slam jumpscares, look elsewhere. If, however, you want a more thought-provoking look at the far more scary prospect of inevitable destruction, These Final Hours is everything you could possibly ask for.

THE VERDICT: I'll cut straight to it — These Final Hours was the best film I saw at this year's FrightFest. A beautiful, heart-breaking but ultimately hopeful tour de force, it is one of the finest movies I've seen in a long, long time. From the cast, to the direction to the story, I cannot praise These Final Hours highly enough. It is an absolute must-see. 

Luckily, UK readers will be given the chance to see it very soon — hot on the heels of its FrightFest screening the movie will also be showing at Sheffield's Celluloid Screams Festival. If you're nearby and able to attend, you simply have to see it.
Furthermore, the film has already won plenty of support in the States and is now set to be adapted as a TV series by Luc Besson's EuropaCorp! Marvellous news!

Read my previous Film4 Frightfest special reviews for Suspension here, The Nightmare here, Wind Walkers here, Stung here, Night of the Slasher here, Invaders here, Crow Hand!!! here, We Are Still Here here, Demonic here, The Lazarus Effect here, Turbo Kid here and Another Me here.

If you haven’t already, do please check out and Like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House @HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.

RAW REVIEW: THE THIN MAN

Young filmmaker Bayden Ray Redshaw may not be a name with which you are familiar. I came across his work (often in collaboration with his brother Dylan John Redshaw) on Facebook and it convinced me to check out his YouTube channel (here) where I saw a few of his very cool micro-budget shorts, including The Doll, Bed Time and The Thin Man trilogy. I'll wait here while you check them out, see you soon.
Back again? Pretty cool, right? 
Well now Redshaw has returned to his Thin Man mythos and given the story a feature-length outing. With a larger cast and more time to tell his story, can Redshaw flesh out the scares of the short films into an appetising movie? Or will the longer runtime just thin them out?
Read on...

THE THIN MAN (2015)

Dir: Bayden Ray Redshaw, Dylan John Redshaw

Starring: Bayden Ray Redshaw, Dylan John Redshaw, Jordan Stopforth, Keearna Lee Westcott, Rob Tomlinson, Alasdair Patton

SPEEDY SYNOPSIS: I'll try not to spoil too much here but continue at your own risk.

The film opens with a young man, Rob (Tomlinson), performing a ritual in the dark woodlands on the outskirts of Albany, West Australia. Upon completing the ritual, ominous camera interference doesn't quite conceal the arrival of another individual, then the clip ends abruptly.

From here we meet our stars, Bayden (writer/director Redshaw) who has just returned home after a lengthy hospital stay. As an aspiring filmmaker he looks to recruit his dubious brother Dylan (star of The Thin Man shorts) and friend, yet-to-arrive Jordan, to investigate the viral video we have just seen and the local legend of The Thin Man. 

The Thin Man was originally a warlock in the 1800s who drew the ire of the Albany townsfolk for his ungodly ways. As a punishment he was confined to a cave and over time the locals neglected to feed him, causing him to slowly starve to death. It is said that the ritual depicted earlier in the film can summon his vengeful spirit.

Now the boys are looking to make a film on the Thin Man lore, notably whether it is true or to debunk it as yet another Bloody Mary-esque campfire ghost story.

Eventually Jordan arrives and tells his pals that his now ex-girlfriend Keearna (Westcott) has dumped him, due in no small part to his inability to hold down a job and willingness to drop it all for a fun time with the Redshaw brothers. In time-honoured tradition, the brothers decide to help him drown his sorrows.

However an excess of alcohol leads to not only a disastrous late-night Skype call to Keearna, but also the boys heading out to the nearby Oval to perform the ritual. When it seems to fail, the inebriated lads head back to the house to continue drinking.

But did things really go as unsuccessfully as it first seemed? Have the trio attracted unwanted attention? And if so, from what and at what cost?

THE BEST BITS (mild spoiler warning): To me one of the strongest points of the Thin Man films so far has been its compelling and decidedly creepy mythos. What at first sounds like it is going to be yet another shitty Slender Man rip-off is actually a very cool idea for a villain. Redshaw has invented an excellent piece of horror villainy that really does deserve to reach a wider audience. 

Speaking of Redshaw, as well as showing a promising flair for directing, he's also a pretty damn good actor. Yes, he's done some work on this side of the camera in the past, but this is the first time I've seen him at length. This is a capable and believable performance, as are those of Dylan and Stopforth.

One of the strongest sections of the film is the early introduction to these characters and the fact that the three are friends in real life really helps their dynamic. The camaraderie is palpable and the relaxed, natural-feeling improvisational nature of the dialogue only helps to draw the viewer in. The relationships and characters feel decidedly real so it is all the easier to care about their plight. 

I also like the fact that the Redshaw brothers devoted so much time at the beginning of the film to fully fleshing these characters out before throwing them into peril. All too often horror movies expect us to care about characters who, quite frankly, are little more than two-dimensional stereotypes. Here we are given a central trio whose actions and interactions give us a clear insight into who they are and what their motivation is. Well done, gentlemen.

Of course, as this is a horror flick what most of you will want to know is does this deliver on the scares?

I think the Thin Man trilogy of shorts manage some wonderfully atmospheric chills at times and this feels very much like an extended version of one of these films. Most notably, it felt a lot like the third film (which, incidentally, is my favourite). 
Arguably the most effective scare technique used in the short films is the memorable corrupted audio and video quality when the Thin Man is nearby. Like Silent Hill's chilling air-raid siren, it's a clever tension ratcheting tool that lets the viewer know something pretty damn creepy is imminent. The disconcerting grainy, static flecked visuals act as a nice cue for the horrors to follow. Furthermore, the sudden blaring sound of the corrupted audio, when combined with the abrupt manifestation of the shadowy Thin Man leads to some very effective jump scares.

Due to this 'interference' we rarely see the Thin Man, certainly not in much more than silhouette, but this works in the film's favour. The imagination can conjure far more nightmarish imagery than the Redshaw's limited budget could possibly have created.

What's more, the duo have a clear understanding of how to use the P.O.V. nature of Found Footage to cultivate a scare. The Redshaws use empty space and the areas we cannot see to craft some tension filled set pieces, keeping the audience on edge as the camera slowly creeps around corners or opens sealed doors to reveal the unknown. 
I've said before that it takes a lot of skill to make a Found Footage flick that feels like a genuine unscripted and unplanned documentary. Thankfully, this is something that Bayden and Dylan definitely have. The raw realism of the film is one of the movie's greatest assets and arguably its most invaluable tool when it comes to delivering effective and creepy scares. Kudos, gentlemen!

THE WORST BITS (mild spoiler warning): It feels decidedly unsporting to pick at a micro-budget endeavour such as this. Either side of The Thin Man I've watched big budget efforts Insidious: Chapter 3 and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Maggie, so to find fault with any production values feels decidedly unjust. However, should you be less accustomed to lower budget Indie horror and more used to the types of title that I just mentioned, some of you may find fault with the look and sound design of the film. As this is meant to be a genuine YouTube project, I think these qualities add some authenticity to proceedings, but be warned.
Also, while I praised the effective dynamic that casting friends in key roles gave to the film, every now and then the cast's lack of experience would come to the fore. This was most noticeable during the times when scripted lines that act as key plot points arose. The natural ebb and flow of the improvised dialogue is superb, but every now and then line delivery did feel a little clunky. Unfortunately one character who appears later on in the film has dialogue that consists almost entirely of storyline exposition so his comes across as the weakest performance. Also, every now and then I did spot a little bit of corpsing. It's entirely natural that when you're having fun on a project with your friends you may smile or giggle, but it can negatively affect a scene. Yes, when confronted with the unknown and eerie it can be common to develop a nervous laugh, but I didn't get the impression that was the intended effect. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that these are not professional actors at work here, so, on the whole, I think the cast deserve a significant amount of praise for the fact that they do get it right so often rather than any criticism for the times in which they don't.
There could also be some complaints levelled at the way the guys react to some seriously messed-up stuff that happens later on. Then again, they were supposed to be drunk so we do have an instant get out for any dubious responses.
One other area in which the film may have benefited would have been a couple more takes of some scenes/shots or a little longer in the editing room. From what I understand, Redshaw spent a significant amount of time cutting the film down to its current runtime, which leaves me wondering whether certain scenes and moments could have been expanded upon better? For example, the Thin Man's backstory is delivered in a rather rushed manner and I actually prefer the level of detail given it in the very first Thin Man short. It feels a little like there's an assumed familiarity with the source material which may alienate some viewers. Regarding the editing there are also a couple of repetitive moments that could also have been trimmed or excised entirely. 
Strangely I was left with the feeling that it should be about 15 minutes shorter or a good 20 minutes longer. Having enjoyed so much of what is here, I really do hope to get to see a version running closer to Redshaw's original runtime. I think it'd be a blast!
Finally, I feel it necessary to mention the toad kicking scene. I think some viewers will be a little upset by this sequence, and while it does give a good indication of the way in which the lads are carefree, inebriated youngsters prone to the random moments of silliness to which, well, carefree, inebriated youngsters are, but it might have been better demonstrated via a scene less-likely to draw complaints.

THE VERDICT: I'm definitely going to recommend The Thin Man. It's an excellent low budget chiller from a genuinely talented pair of young up and coming filmmakers with plenty of passion and imagination for their craft. What's more, I hope that this film finds a larger audience so the Redshaw brothers can revisit this property in the future. The pair have already launched their own independent film label and with plenty more titles in the offing, including a feature length adaptation of The Doll, these guys are well deserving of your support and definitely a group of individuals to look out for in the future.

The film hasn't yet found distribution but to find out more about it head over to The Thin Man's official Facebook page here. To find out more about Bayden and Dylan's upcoming projects, check out the Redshaw Pictures page here too. Give them both a Like while you're at it, go on show some love!

If you haven’t already, do please check out and like the Hickey’s House of Horrors Facebook page, which you can find here. It gives you a nice quick link to any new posts on this blog, plus regular news updates from around the web. I check the Internet so you don’t have to! Alternatively, follow me on twitter: The House@HickeysHorrors

Until next time, I hope you enjoyed your stay.