Spain | 2012 | Directed by Jorge Torregrossa
Logline: A group of old friends have gathered for a reunion, but soon discover that the absence of one friend is the explanation for the unfolding of ominous supernatural events.
Smoldering with suspense, bristling with intrigue, coiled like a snake ready to bite, and as elusive as it is enigmatic, Fin is a feature that promises far more than it ultimately delivers, but the ride to the beyond is a solid, very well-acted, drama-thriller.
Despite the involvement of Sergio Sanchez on co-writing duties (he penned The Orphanage), the movie spends far too much time meandering around the characters rather than getting to the bones of the story: the end of days.
Director Torregrossa’s background is in Spanish television, but he shows flair in his mise-en-scene. He certainly can elicit excellent performances, a shame then that the majority of the characters are less-than-interesting. Thankfully the most charismatic ones last the distance.
Essentially Fin becomes a waiting game, as the cosmic elements take their aim on the poor, hapless friends. Seems their old buddy Angel (Eugenia Mira) – the Prophet – might just be right after all. There’ll be tears before bedtime, tears before the Armageddon. Quietly does it.
The movie’s most captivating moment is when the thunder and lightning occur at just after midnight, and all power is zapped. None of the cars electrical equipment works, and then the first friend vanishes. It’s a tense and unsettling situation. From there the friends are on the move, and the narrative becomes a chase; the remaining friends trying to find anyone who hasn’t disappeared, before they all disappear.
The screenplay is based on a novel by Daniel Monteagudo, and I’m sure it reads more compellingly than the movie. It’s a shame then that Fin doesn’t work quite like it should. It simply plateaus far too soon, and as such you lose interest in the outcome. When the end finally arrives, it’s an anticlimax. Ultimately, Fin is a thriller that begs for more thrills.