Directed by Miguel Sapochnik, Finch is the latest film to debut on Apple’s streaming platform Apple TV+.
This film gave me a lot of Beckett vibes; in theory the story seemed brilliant, but placing the wrong actor in the wrong role sabotaged it from the beginning . In short, this was a white I Am Legend with a dash of Chappie.
Tom Hanks plays Finch, an inventor whose solitude is only comforted by the presence of his dog. In a post-apocalyptic setting where a cataclysmic solar event turned the world into a wasteland, Finch was barely getting by, rummaging for food and supplies whenever he could. Being the resourceful inventor, he eventually builds a life-sized robot with one main purpose: in the event Finch should die, take care of the dog.
There were a few moments of suspense but overall, the film could’ve been better. There were a handful of moments where magic could’ve been created; where the suspense could’ve taken a greater turn or a plot-twist could’ve elevated the film’s creativity. Unfortunately, the entire film relies heavily on Tom Hanks.
If you’re looking for something to pass the time this weekend, this would probably be best. A good film for when you want “something” on in the background while you’re handling a more important task. This isn’t the year 2000 and attempting a rebooted Chuck Noland-Wilson relationship did not translate well with Finch-Jeffrey (Finch’s robot). Not to mention, if you have the capability to build a robot smart enough to learn and survive, why not build it to help you? Exacting your frustrations on something you built for a purpose as bland as “taking care of my dog”, is not only very vanilla, but it’s idiotic.
Finch gets a 6 out of 10. I watched a grown man verbally abuse a robot for almost two hours so you wouldn’t have to. But if you decide to take on such a task, Finch is available today on Apple TV+.
-Jon Jones
Photo: Courtesy of Apple TV+