Directed by Joey Stewart [Other horror films: N/A]
It’s been some time since I’ve last seen this one – if I had to guess, likely around 10 years. I remember enjoying The Final when I did see it, though, so I was definitely interested in revisiting it with fresh eyes.
I do think it’s a decent movie, though I also think it’s fair to say that it’s not particularly special in many ways. While I remembered the movie as violent, the gore here strikes me as somewhat tepid, and while the general plot is okay, a few elements aren’t touched on enough (such as the identity of some others involved in the revenge plot of the main characters).
And on that note, let’s get into the plot – a group of bullied kids decide to fight back against those who have bullied them for years. They get them together, drug them, and begin to torture them, both mentally and physically. Before that, we see snippets of their encounters with these bullies, along with a little bit of their home life.
Now, before I make any judgments, I should say that I was never really bullied in high school. I could have been – I was the quiet, wallflower type, with a speech impediment to boot – but I wasn’t, which I am grateful for. That said, I do feel a deep sympathy with the main characters here, and while their vengeance is questionable, I can’t pretend that the stereotypical jocks and pretty girls got much in the way of pity from me.
Even so, though, the movie is pretty tame. Sure, there are a few violent sequences, such as someone getting paralyzed and then stabbed with acupuncture needles, someone getting a couple of fingers cut off, a girl getting her face eaten off by acid. Violent, sure, but the focus isn’t the gore at all, so though there are some disturbing scenes in concept, it’s really not that hard to watch at all.
I also wish we got a bit more characterization for all involved, bullies and bullied alike. I do like the little bit we get from both Vincent Silochan and Eric Isenhowers’ home lives, and what little we get from Lindsay Seidel’s background was decent too. Even so, almost all of the bullies here felt stereotypical, and while I understand the point, it was sometimes hard to take them seriously.
When it comes to performances, I do think that the three I’ve mentioned, being Vincent Silochan, Eric Isenhowers, and Lindsay Seidel, do the best. It’s true that we don’t get a whole lot from Isenhowers’ character, insofar as personality is concerned, but he had a cool look to him, and his banjo picking was classy. Travis Tedford didn’t really make much of an impression, and while Marc Donato (Haunted High, Bad Kids Go to Hell) had some strong moments, he got a bit preachy for me. Otherwise, the only other performance really worth mentioning is Jascha Washington, and it’s not even that his character was that great, but it was nice to see a character who we can actually root for without feeling bad.
I think, though, that the movie’s decent even without the best characterization. True, the opening scene struck me as somewhat pointless (reminding me a bit of Terrifier’s opening), and I’d have liked a bit more focus on the others helping with the revenge scheme (which, according to IMDb trivia, was planned, but the scenes were later cut, leaving only a reference or two to their identities), but it’s still a pretty painless movie.
It’s not necessarily great at all, but it’s not a bad time to spend an hour and a half. It might be a smidge above average, but it’s close – either way, The Final’s not something I think would blow anyone away, but it can be an okay time.
7.5/10
Jiggy's Horror Corner 