Review by Stuart O'Connor
Stars Marc Donato, Travis Tedford, Lindsay Seidel, Hunter Garner, Eric Isenhower, Jascha Washington, Justin Arnold, Whitney Hoy, Matthew Posey, Laura Ashley Samuels, Julin
Written by Jason Kabolati
Certification UK 18 | US R
Runtime 93 minutes
Directed by Joey Stewart
Ah, revenge. A dish, as they say, that's best served cold. But the picked-upon nerdy types in The Final serve their revenge with a healthy dose of guns and knives, severed fingers and acid in the face.
It's probably the darkest fantasy of every bullied kid on the planet to exact some brutal, painful payback to their tormenters – I know that it was for me when I was a child. And for this particular picked-upon group of Texas high school kids, some sadistic torture – both physical and mental – is just what the doctor ordered for their bullies. Dane (Donato) has inherited a farmhouse from his uncle, so he and his friends organise a costume party and invite along all the jocks, cheerleaders and prom queens who make their daily lives hell. The guests are drugged (it's in the punch!) and when they awake, they are all chained together, letting Dane and his mates – Ravi (Silochan), Emily (Seidel), Tommy (Garner) and Jack (Isenhower) – set about messing with their minds. Oh, and cutting bits off them, too.
As high-school horrors go, The Final is decent enough – it's the first feature from director Stewart, and he shows a lot of potential. It's derivative in places, with a nod to Saw and Hostel here, and a wink to Deliverence there. The pacing flags occasionally, and it's a bit talky at times, but there is some terrific dialogue in paces – particularly from Dane. The torture scenes are nasty without being overly gory, and the finale is fitting and surprising – you genuinely won't see it coming. There is, though, a major plot hole which does let the film down somewhat – just how did the bullied manage to get all the cool kids along to the party? Despite that, it's a well-made horror-thriller that will keep you engrossed. And if you've ever been a victim of bullying, you'll find yourself sitting there cheering for the "bad guys" all the way.