This movie is extremely scary to me, and probably not in the ways that the writers and directors intended it. Or, I dunno, maybe it was intentional.
Watching The Final made me realize really quick why I tried to never pick on people in school. It also makes me fear for my kids going through school. Not so much so that I think this could actually happen, but it does conjure up memories of tragedies like Columbine, as well as memories of being picked on in school.
The Final wastes no time getting right to it, and by “it”, I mean the killing and horror. The viewer is introduced to several students in a nondescript high school. They are a group of good friends that are all being tormented by the other cliques around school, like the jocks, and the hot/popular kids. It becomes quickly apparent that these kids have their minds set on one thing, and one thing only; revenge.
What better way to lure a bunch of kids that are super popular and egotistical into a trap than with a party by an exclusive invite list. The bulk of the film takes place in a house that was left to one of the un-popular kids by his deceased uncle. When the popular kids show up, they are treated to a fun party with music, lights, drinks, the total package. Once all guests have arrived, they are drugged and then shackled to the floor. This is where things take a decidedly darker turn.
The Final is a bit of torture porn, thrown in with a revenge horror flick. It’s dark, bloody, and sadly reflects issues with what happens because of bullying, albeit at a much more dramatic style. As I said earlier, this movie kinda got to me. I was not bullied as bad as these kids but when they were tormented by the other students, I immediately remembered being picked on by several kids at school. Memories of that flooded back into my head at an almost nauseating pace. The Final does a good job of conveying the dread and depression that these un-popular kids faced in a normal day at school. Even if that didn’t come across on the screen, which it does, I think this movie would have spoken to me on some psychological level.
I never wanted to torture or kill the people that thought picking on me in school was a fun thing to do. My revenge on those people was success, family, and true friendship. I have seen several of the people that used to pick on me in school back then, and they have either done absolutely NOTHING with their lives, or have let’s just say… bloated. I stood up for myself back then, even going so far as to get into a fight with a bully, but I never wanted to kill anyone. This movie takes it to that extreme. By the end of the film the torture has left it’s mark, and the popular kids will never be the same again. It could have ended that way. However, The Final needed to try and drill the message home just a bit more than it should have. Ironically the final line of the movie, wherein the titular line is spoken, could have been left completely out and the movie would have been fine. Sadly, this last bit of ADR soured the ending quite a bit. Oh well. Lesson here kids, don’t pick on those that are less fortunate, less popular, or you think aren’t as good looking as the norm. It could come back to haunt you.
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