These Final Hours

These Final Hours is an apocalyptic drama that tells the story of James (Phillips), a troubled young man on a mission. He's desperate to join his girlfriend at the “party to end all parties” and numb any feelings as the world comes to an end. On his journey, however, James is greeted by a lawless and chaotic city, facing a cataclysmic event that will end life on the planet, and he discovers that getting to where he needs to be will not be easy. Along the way, he saves the life of a girl named Rose (Rice), frantically searching for her father. Out of options, James invites Rose to join him. Together they discover how they would truly like to spend their last moments on Earth in this world gone mad. (Gary Reber)

Special features include the trailer and upfront previews

The 2.40:1 1080p AVC picture exhibits an orange-yellow tint, to suggest the slow migration to death and the end of Earth as humans have known it. These coloring effects, in particular, leave fleshtones stylishly hued. This makes for a warm image. The party scene is heavily stylized to create an atmosphere of degradation. The underground bunker provides a dramatic contrast to the color scheme. Resolution is excellent, with fine detail revealed throughout. Contrast is generally well balanced and retains good black levels and shadow delineation. This is a pretty amazing treatment that is strikingly sharp and well defined, though, quite depressing. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack effectively projects a sense of isolation and danger as James drives through barren neighborhoods and the countryside. Atmospherics are realistically rendered, though, often nuanced. The exception is the party scene, with loud music and general mayhem. At times the surrounds are aggressively energized with directionality associated with environmental sounds. Dialogue is effectively integrated spatially, but at times unintelligible, due to the Australian accents. The AM radio announcer is nicely balanced as well. The music score is orchestral, electronic, and eerie in feel except for the party music and big band swing in Rose's father home. Deep bass surfaces at the very end, as a firestorm signals the end. This is a fairly dynamic presentation with elements of nuance that works well as a complement to the picture. (Gary Reber)