Finch (2021)

Very Tame Post Apocalyptic Tale - Finch review by GI

A strangely unexciting post-apocalyptic sci-fi film despite the impressive visual effects. Tom Hanks plays Finch, a lone survivor in a world decimated by the loss of the ozone layer. By day he forages for food for him and his beloved dog and at night he builds a droid which is later named Jeff, played by a motion captured Caleb Landry Jones. When lethal storms build Finch realises he must head west. Along the way he ties to teach Jeff how to be more human and ultimately programs him to protect the dog. What is weird here is the obvious lack of any real danger even though there are references to avoiding other survivors and at one point they are pursued by a car, the occupants of which are never seen and the car eventually disappears never to be seen again! Hanks channels the loner such as he did in Cast Away (2000) and there are similarities to Silent Running (1972). In some ways the narrative picks up on the theory by scientist James Lovelock that AI will be the next evolutionary change but the film doesn't specify this and I'm only guessing. Watchable but a little too tame and overly sentimental with that curious lack of jeopardy that the film needed.