if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows

Story: It's very simple but honestly that is fine.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Having been knocked out by Campbell Scott's 'Off the Map', I ordered his previous feature film on DVD and now that I see how brilliant that is as well, there can be no doubt about it: Campbell Scott is one of the finest film directors ever to come out of America. This one contains a tour de force performance by Denis Leary as 'Bill', who wakes up in a hospital room and wonders what the hell is going on. Much of the film takes place there, and the film has the claustrophobic intensity and fascination of the film 'Tape', which is set in a motel room. This film has a sci fi premise which slowly emerges from the confusion experienced by Bill, as the pieces begin to fall into place. But it is not just sci fi, it is a serious meditation upon the future (if we are to have one!), and Bruce McIntosh's script is really brilliant, full of provocative insights. As a counterfoil to the rough diamond character of Denis Leary there is a sensitive, finely-judged performance from a highly superior actress, Hope Davis, who appears to be treating him in the hospital. Or is she? And her supervisor is well played by Maureen Andermann. What is her real job? Anyone who has an attention span of five minutes maximum should not watch this film, because it requires sustained attention throughout. In fact, morons should be strictly prohibited from seeing 'Final', and firmly told that it has nothing to do with football. If the wrong people watched this film through to the end, there is no telling what might happen. We cannot afford to let this get out. This film is every bit as much off the radar as 'Off the Map'. 'Final' and 'Off the Map' are so original, Campbell Scott has redefined the word itself.

Actually, there are no spoilers in this note, as there is nothing to spoil.I like movies where they make up what they are going to do as they do it. Sometimes the movie is working well, while other times you wish they would have written something out before turning the camera on. Maybe if they woke the actors up later in the day, the actors could have figured out more of a plot, since obviously the writers went out for a nice lunch somewhere far away from the set, and repeated calls to their cell phones for help were never returned. You never know minute to minute if the movie is ever going to go anywhere, or whether it ever might make sense. A suspense movie in that regard. I especially liked Hope Davis in this movie, as whatever plot development there was happened through her unspoken words. Not necessarily art, just good movie-making, anti-Hollywood.

In trying to "humanize" the story, unprofessional behavior takes place between a couple of the key psychiatrists, in small as well as large occurrences, that remind one of soap opera reality: 'emotionality as a substitute for dramaturgy. Too, the difficulties filming science-fiction cheaply are having visual loose ends take place that imaginative (or merely competent) directors take care of as a matter of course because of budget largess. Sci-fi writers are obsessive and brilliant and cannot brook 'loose ends'; if a story includes observable 'state' surveillance everywhere, for example, then between production design and computer effects, you will see it on the screen. "Final's" budget shortcomings unfortunately prevail and sink the story's need for a airtight, highly controlled production design. Emphasis on the word controlled. With the possibility of human survival at stake, would there not be complete surveillance of what's taking place.....everywhere in the facility, since there are only two unfrozen humans available? Security was highly negligent throughout the institution.I also wondered why they would cast an actor such as Dennis Leary? His personality is so abrasive and unlikable. Bill doesn't have to be a dullard but he shouldn't alienate the viewer. Goodness, once his eminent demise was spoken of I on several occasions wished the toxins would start dripping into an IV. (Hope Davis's Dr. Ann at least showed some human attractiveness within her quandary about participating in the harvesting of this guy's body for medical science and/or the race's survival.)Five stars because some of the story's main and imaginative ideas survived to keep me interested.

Dennis Leary may have started a comedian, but he is becoming a top-notch actor. His TV work just keeps getting better, and Final shows how good he can be.****SPOILER****In this film by Independent Digital Entertainment, Leary plays Billy, a man who wakes in a mental hospital with no clear memory of why he is there. Billy is lead to believe it has only been one week since he had an accident, but he thinks it has been four hundred years and that he is slated to be killed. As things progress, it is made increasingly clear that there is something unusual going on. Billy remembers more and more of the events leading to his accident and finally discovers the truth. This film was well shot on digital and had good acting and great dialog. All in all, a good movie with a decent take on the whole coma/cryogenic/future/past combo.