Finch
review by Bobby Blakey
There aren’t too many actors as beloved as Tom Hanks or that take on as many diverse roles. Back in 2020 his war film Greyhound found its way to Apple TV+ streaming during the pandemic. Now Hanks is back with his latest film Finch that is hitting Apple TV+ as well co-starring Caleb Landry Jones from Game of Thrones and True Detective director Miguel Sapochnik. Could this latest sci-fi flick be another great addition to Hanks’ filmography or will it fail to survive the apocalypse?
Finch follows a robotics engineer and one of the few survivors of a cataclysmic solar event that has left the world a wasteland. But Finch, who has been living in an underground bunker for a decade, has built a world of his own that he shares with his dog, Goodyear. He creates a robot to watch over Goodyear when he no longer can. As the trio embarks on a perilous journey into a desolate American West, Finch strives to show his creation, who names himself Jeff, the joy and wonder of what it means to be alive. Their road trip is paved with both challenges and humor, as it’s as difficult for Finch to goad Jeff and Goodyear to get along as it is for him to manage the dangers of the new world.
Much like Castaway, Finch has Hanks carrying the heavy load as the lone star of the film although he does have a bit more of a supporting cast in the form of Jones voicing the robot Jeff and the dog. This is makes for a fun, sad, heartfelt and compelling film that delivers all the tropes of this genre in one of the less depressing apocalyptic worlds to date. For most of the film we just get to hang out with Finch and the life he has created for himself as he brings Jeff to life. Once he joins in on the fun it becomes an even more entertaining buddy film of sorts.
Despite it being a CGI robot, Jeff is surprisingly expressive and fun to watch. His interactions with Finch are great to watch as they grow from inventor and creation to actual friends and family. The dog, Goodyear is so fun and full of personality as well making for a beloved trio of characters that are
great to watch. I loved that although there are elements that are sad and action packed that overall this is just a film about an unlikely family that you will no doubt enjoy watching.
Hanks is good as ever bringing everything he needs to this role to no one’s surprise. He is all in fully embracing both the isolated world he must inhabit, but also sharing the screen with his companions to perfection. This is a great little movie that while may not be breaking down the sci-fi genre is a well-crafted heartwarming and emotional journey that pretty much all ages can watch, outside of some intense action sequences from time to time.
Check out Finch streaming now on Apple TV+.