Finch

"Set in a post apocalyptic world"

Words that strike fear in the hearts of many a hardened film goer. Quite possibly the most overused story setting in modern cinema. These tales of existence after the majority of the population has been wiped out hit differently in Covid times though as they don't seem quite so silly anymore. Finch has the feel of a film made during lockdown too but surprisingly it was filmed in 2019, before the madness started. It was supposed to hit cinemas last year but... well... you know, so it was delayed and now it's getting a belated and very low key release on Apple TV. It deserves a bigger audience than it's going to get because it's really good.

A decade ago a solar flare made life on Earth almost impossible. Day time temperatures of 150 degrees fahrenheit killed every animal and every plant and drove the few surviving humans underground. Finch (Tom Hanks) was one of the unlucky few survivors and now he spends his days scavenging the city above him for food and bits of electronics he can use in his experiments in his below ground laboratory. His time above is a dangerous combination of avoiding both extreme weather events and life threatening UV radiation and his time below is spent with his one companion, a dog called Goodyear. Finch is sick though, the UV radiation is killing him and he's worried about Goodyear so decides to build a robot to look after him in case the worst happens. His creation is Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones), a machine with a thirst for learning.

This was a fine film. A funny, imaginative, heartwarming drama that will kick you right in the chest. Tom Hanks, the most likable actor on the planet is playing a scientist. So how can you relate to him? Well he has a friendly dog. How can that go wrong? Oh he is very sick and the poor dog is sad about it. Good jesus how mawkish does it sound now? How do they fix that? ROBOTS! Well one robot and one glorified basket on wheels. The robot's soul purpose is to look after Goodyear but of course Goodyear is jealous of this new being interrupting the status quo. How to solve that? ROADTRIP!! A roadtrip in a film is always a fun undertaking and now we get to see this bizarre trio heading off on one where one mistake will see them baking to death fast.

So many films like this live or die on the actor carrying the film but we're in the hands of a pro here, Hanks can create audience empathy for his characters with his eyes closed and *slight spoiler here* the story doesn't wimp out and give him another human to bounce off. He's the only flesh and bone person we see over the course of the film and it makes his performance even more effective. Caleb Landry Jone's Jeff, a robot unplugged and sent moving before he can upload all his needed information is an interesting creation too. Speaking in clipped robotic tones at first but as he learns and interacts his voice becomes more and more human and we get to see a metallic version of Pinocchio coming to life before our eyes. Goodyear of course, well his belief in his future master remains to be seen but the three of them together will have you grinning...for a while anyway.

The world that director Miguel Sapochnik has created for our heroes to travel through is a dull but dangerous place. It's like every post-apocalyptic landscape you've ever seen in film. It's Mad Max without the Road Warriors. It's The Bronx Warriors without the extreme unpleasantness. The Book Of Eli without all that stabbing. It's a family friendly take on a horrible future but it might be too much for the more easily upset amongst us. There's a lot of humour to leaven the hardship Finch is going through but watching him suffer is quite the gut punch. It's Tom Hanks for god sake. No one else would have the same impact in the lead role.

Finch is streaming online now. It's upsetting but it's worth your time.