(may contain spoilers)
Douban rating: 6.0
Director: Sam Esmail
Starring: Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, Ethan Hawke
Douban Comments: “The blockbuster movie of 2023 has arrived! The whole film was incredible, and 138 minutes just wasn’t enough… I wish it could have kept going. It covers the apocalypse, armed conflict, human nature, and the lives of the wealthy. There are so many unforgettable scenes: a cruise ship crashing onto a beach, herds of deer gathering, flamingos flying into a pool, a plane crash on the shore, ultrasonic weapons, communication being cut off, Tesla malfunctions, and finally, the explosion on Long Island. The youngest character, Rose, ends up as the last one standing. She walks into the doomsday bunker built by the rich and finally watches the last episode of Friends. The way the story slowly reveals its secrets was just amazing.”
“The film had a great high concept premise, but it mixed in too many elements. It kept ‘digging holes’, creating suspense, and making a big show of it all, but it ended up inconsistent and unable to tie everything together. It felt like a patchwork of disaster movies, apocalyptic themes, Jericho, A24 vibes, and ‘The Purge’. The filming style was enjoyable, with well-designed shots and a good narrative pace. There were some interesting spectacles and imagery, like the animals, cruise ship, plane, flyers, and Tesla, which could have made for a dense and interpretable story. It’s a bit of a missed opportunity. The Friends idea was intriguing, with its six characters and their interwoven relationships, but it only scratched the surface and didn’t go deeper.”
“The film’s setup is somewhat similar to Knock at the Cabin from earlier this year, but it leans more into science, offering a satirical take on our technology-driven world. It explores how, when people are cut off from technology, suspicion, distrust, and panic can arise, potentially leading to the downfall of a nation. On another level, it seems to reflect some of the anxieties from the COVID era – being trapped at home, the fear of the virus, and concerns about societal collapse. The actors did a great job bringing everyday scenes to life, and the film’s sound design and cinematography were quite interesting. The special effects were mostly convincing, except for the plane crash, which had a noticeable CGI feel. However, I didn’t quite grasp the symbolic meaning behind the animals, which felt a bit overly mysterious. Still, it’s nice to see Netflix occasionally deliver a surprising gem.”
“When a family or a country is rotten enough on the inside, just cutting off the internet and blocking a few roads can make it completely collapse. That idea sounds deep, but the movie presents it in a light and fun way. The last chapter is called The Last One, which is also the name of the final episode of Friends. During the internet blackout, the little girl Rose really wants to watch the ending of Friends. She cares so much about the characters – she laughs and cries for them – but ironically, in real life, her own family doesn’t really care about each other. Nobody cares. The movie also makes a sharp point about race. People say they’re not racist, but deep down, the white family still can’t believe that a Black father and daughter could be the owners of a mansion.”
