The Final (2010)

Number Rolled: 31

Movie Name/Year: The Final (2010)

Genre: Independent

Length: 92 minutes

Rating: R

Director: Joey Stewart

Writer: Jason Kabolati

Actors: Marc Donato, Jascha Washington, Whitney Hoy, Justin Arnold, Lindsay Seidel, Julin, Laura Ashley Samuels, Travis Tedford, Eric Isenhower, Vincent Silochan, Preston Flagg, Hunter Garner, Ryan Hayden, Mark Nutter, Daniel Ross Owens, Matthew Posey, Adam Woods, J.C. Schuster, Brittany Grimes, Erin Howell, Erica Holbrook, Yana Kolmakova, Kenzie McDade, Matthew Brown, Jeremy Lee Harris, Will Schutze

Dane and his friends have been relentlessly bullied at school and, in some cases, at home. As they come to their wits end, they decide to kidnap their bullies and make them pay for everything they’ve done.

I thought this was an amazing film. Upon browsing the reviews for it, though, I found that a lot of people really disliked “The Final.” Common issues were that it was very “Columbine” like, that there wasn’t nearly enough blood and gore and that the message is dated. These reviews just serve to remind me why I think the majority of critics are idiots. The only thing this movie had in common with the Columbine tragedy is that bullied kids became suicidal. NOTHING else about this is “Columbine.” Aside from that, why should it matter if it was? This kind of thing DOES happen. In fact, this movie was loosely based on events that occurred in real life. As for the blood and gore, I’m glad there wasn’t more. Don’t get me wrong, I love bloody movies and torture porn, but the amount of gore in this movie made sense. The characters weren’t hardcore jaded serial killers, they were beaten down kids who snapped. Why does gore need to be a factor, anyway? The psychological horror involved in this film makes up for nearly every flaw I could have pointed out. As for the message being dated… so many arguments come to mind that it’s almost hard to choose which to use. Is it a message that’s been explored before? Sure. In fact, it’s been explored a lot, but it’s not overdone and it still applies. As long as there is a single person who’s decided not to be the same as everyone else, there will be bullies to pick on her and, as long as there are bullies, this message will be applicable. The message in a nutshell? Don’t be a dick.

I had some issue with the acting of the bullies, but that was really my only problem with “The Final.” I’m going to heavily recommend this movie to some of my other friends who’ve been bullied. It’s oddly satisfying.

Netflix’s Prediction for Me – 3.9/5

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 13%

Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 32%

Trust-the-Dice Score – 4.5/5

Movie Trailer: