Movie Breakdown: Finch

Pre-Screening Stance:

You ever watch the trailer for something and just immediately know it’s going to emotionally destroy you? Well, that’s how I feel about Finch. Let’s give it a go!

Post-Screening Ramble:

So, bear with me here, as there’s a real chunk of setup to go through. Finch (Tom Hanks) exists on a post-apocalyptic Earth where he does his best everyday to provide for himself and his beloved dog, Goodyear. As if that wasn’t hard enough, Finch has become terminally ill, which means that Goodyear is in danger of being left all alone. To prevent this, Finch creates Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones), a robot whose sole purpose is to make sure Goodyear is taken care of. Before Jeff can get a full data download though, a massive storm blows through and sends the three of them (plus another little robot) on an unplanned road trip.

Finch is certainly a film with a dangerous setting and it does have some tense moments, but overall it’s pretty charming and funny. Obviously, it’s driven by Tom Hanks, who does fine work as a weathered man in full on dad-mode, but I think the real star of the show is actually Caleb Landry Jones, who imbues Jeff with just the right mix of determination, wonder, and humor. His performance is not only inspired, but important, as Finch is essentially Jeff’s coming of age story and there’s no way the film works as well as it does without CLJ.

I don’t know if I would call Finch a great or brilliant film, but if you just want to watch something enjoyable that will put a smile on your face (and maybe an occasional tear in your eye), then you should give it a whirl. The movie is on AppleTV+ as of today, November 5.

One Last Thought:

I would definitely watch an AppleTV+ series about the adventures of Jeff and Goodyear.