Finale (2010)

Review by Tim-O



Starring: Carolyn Von Hauck
Directed by John Michael Elfers
“Finale” is about a grieving mother (Carolyn Von Hauck) trying to solve the mystery of her teenage son’s apparent suicide. She investigates the old abandoned and secluded Victorian house where her son died and begins finding clues that lead her to believe his death was perpetrated by an evil cult populated by members of the local high school’s drama department. As the clues add up, Hauck begins being menaced by a demonic force that seems to generate from any reflecting surface. Afraid that her daughter (who just happens to land the lead in the high school play) is being targeted by the same cult she believes is responsible for her son’s death, Hauck sets out to destroy the cult to save her daughter and exact revenge for her son’s death.

My experience watching “Finale” was a decidedly mixed one. The acting was fairly good for what seemed to be a cast of dedicated unknowns. The visual effects were pretty nifty considering they seemed to be mostly practical with little or no CGI. The camerawork was the highlight of the film for me. The D.O.P. did a good job with camera angles and motion that hid a lot of budget constraints. However, I hated the “look” of the movie. I don’t know if it was just the lenses used or not, but it looked devoid of color and it had alot of soft graininess. For me, though, the film’s real major downfall was writer/director John Michael Elfers’ script. The story never engaged me and the dialogue went from bland to hokey. I actually had to start the movie over after only about 10 minutes because I felt I had missed something in the dialogue and was already confused as to what was happening and who characters were in relation to one another. Over and over again, as the movie progressed, I felt my attention waning away from the story and boredom setting in. At times, it also reminded me of the terrible film “Mirrors” starring Kiefer Sutherland. Elfer’s directing seemed to be sure handed, though. Once again, it was the script/story that turned me off, not how it was presented.

On a side note, the DVD box art has a blurb from a review comparing “Finale” to Argento. In my opinion, the only thing about “Finale” that even resembles an Argento film is the fact you’ll find them both in the same section of your local video store.

“Finale” is a well done low budget movie that is unfortunately based on a tired and boring script. Kudos to the cast and crew for making a technically sound product on a meager budget. Unfortunately, I simply didn’t like the movie, but I respect the work that went into making it. I’d really like to see what these guys could do with a fresh idea that’s well written. I hope they get a chance to do just that. After watching “Finale”, I think they have definitely earned it. 4/10