The Last Days (2013) Poster

(2013)

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7/10
A grim but surprisingly uplifting tale
moviefansme23 February 2014
What a pleasant surprise! The plot for this movie sounds fairly thin and uninteresting, but the storytelling and characters make it much more compelling than expected. The story is grim yet the audience feels for the lead characters who are determined to prevail for motivations that could seem sappy but come across as noble.

The premise sounds simplistic but the storytelling is intriguing. We find ourselves in a recently post-apocalyptic world; the cause this time: People develop a fear of going outside. Through flashbacks that are visually woven into the story, we see how a few people seeming go crazy and won't leave the building they're in, or die in the process. This overwhelms more people until everyone is trapped in the building they were in when "The Panic" hit them. The story doesn't dwell on the cause but exploring the consequences.

The story packs a lot of emotion and drama with vivid characters portrayed well by the lead actors. The look of the movie, the score, the turns in the plot, and the characters' evolution come together to create dramatic punch. I look forward to more movies from the Pastor brothers.
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7/10
Starts off a little slow, but builds nicely.
Rob_Taylor2 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is a fine example of European cinema doing what it does best - focusing on a small story set against a larger backdrop.

In this instance, the backdrop is the end of the world, courtesy of an unexplained illness or viral agent that prevents people from going out into the open. A kind of extreme agoraphobia that, if pressed, leads to death via a heart attack.

The small story which is set against this is one man's attempt to be reunited with his girlfriend after the infection/illness/virus leaves everyone trapped in the buildings in which they worked or lived.

It's nicely acted and not over the top for the most part. Towards the end there is a tendency to ramp things up, but nothing that you see on screen is particularly unbelievable.

I guess, to audiences used to Hollywood blockbusters, this movie might seem slow, or pedestrian and not action-filled enough. But if you fancy a change from usual American CGI-fests, then this will suit you down to the ground, providing of course, that you do not mind subtitles.

I'm not really sure what the complaints about the ending are. It seemed to follow on quite logically from the rest of the movie and gave the movie a final, upbeat moment that gave hope for humanity. A "civilisation is gone, but humanity endures" kind of deal that sat very nicely with me.

Again, its not the "happy-ever-after" ending that were used to from Hollywood, but it is nice to have a different take on what constitutes a good ending.

SUMMARY: Nicely done post-apocalyptic movie that revels in its smaller story. No saving the world here, just a solid story. Recommended.
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7/10
Supernatural apocalyptic Sci-Fi , artfully , well-played and compellingly directed
ma-cortes7 December 2013
Thrilling film about a mysterious epidemic spreads across the planet , being well set , splendidly acted , including great production design , state-of-art FX and rightly directed . This chiller with supernatural elements was stunningly realized by Spanish filmmakers David and Alex Pastor . ¨Los Ultimos Dias¨ or ¨The last days¨ packs intrigue , intense drama , action and astonishing suspense film about strange sudden incidents altering the planet , leaving them stranded with no line of communication to the outside world . It is set in 2013 , Barcelona , a mysterious epidemic spreads across the planet . Humanity develops an irrational fear of open spaces that causes instant death . Soon , the world population is trapped inside buildings . As Barcelona descends into chaos , there Marc (Quim Gutierrez) without ever going outside sets off on a quest to find Julia (Marta Etura), his missing girlfriend , as she works along with Andrea (Leticia Dolera) at a puppet shop in a shiny shopping center where Marc attempts to go . Along the way , Marc finds Enrique (Jose Coronado) , nicknamed "The Terminator" because he dedicated to fire people . Enrique accompanies Marc who wants to search for Julia . They start their way on the subway, following the typical leaflet with the station map and the GPS .

Intrigue , intense drama , action and suspense film about a deadly and rapacious virus spread by means of contacting to exterior world . Suspense thriller that deals with a particular buddy movie between Quim Gutierrez and Jose Coronado , a special relationship among two different characters turning into an intimate friendship . The pictures results to be a metaphor for social panic in the same way that 50s extraterrestrial films mirrored fears of Red Menace . Nice performances from Quim Gutierrez , Marta Etura and special mention to Jose Coronado who stands out as a tough as well as sensitive veteran become an action man . Colorful and appropriate cinematography by Daniel Aranyó who has also worked in Hollywood as ¨High School Musical ¨ saga and subsequently photographed ¨Invasor¨ and ¨Combustion¨ . Stirring and thrilling musical score by Fernando Velazquez who previously composed for successful terror films as ¨The orphanage¨ , ¨For the God of others¨ , ¨Devil¨ and ¨Julia's eyes¨ .

Good direction by Pastor Brothers who do have its thrilling moments , most of them in the first half , though the second half being mostly dramatic and tragic , including a touching finale . The motion picture was original and compellingly realized by David and Alex Pastor . They offer us an intelligent flick of the apocalyptic world movie , intimate , committed and lots of action . This one resulted to be their second film and David and Alex Pastor Brothers had directed in 2009 ,¨Carriers¨ , with international cast such as Chris Pine , Lou Taylor Pucci , Piper Perabo , Emily VanCamp and Christopher Meloni ; also dealing with a strange virus that causes instant death , as the world population is trapped in illness , contagion and infection . It marked David and Alex Pastor's debut feature as directors but was garnering so much attention from international sites . This his second film offer us an intelligent flick of the apocalyptic world movie with strong intrigue and suspense including considerable violence , developed in Barcelona city , in which they manage to convey an eerie atmosphere to dismay . Rating : Above average . Well worth watching .
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7/10
An underrated entry in the apocalyptic field...
MrGKB19 March 2016
Warning: Spoilers
..."The Last Days" is a solid effort from the fraternal team that put together maiden voyage "Carriers" and then crashed and burned later with the highly disappointing "Out of the Dark." I haven't seen "Self/less" yet, but will be seeking it out; the Pastor brothers strike me as genuine talents well worth keeping an eye on.

The premise of viral agoraphobia may or may not be a bit dodgy, but much like the unexplained zombie phenomenon of the "Night of the Living Dead" genre, the hows and whys are unimportant; what matters is the human story. "The Last Days" is essentially a road story (albeit mostly subterranean) combined with a quest story (boy seeking lost girl), none of it outwardly extraordinary, but done with sufficient craft and panache to satisfy all but the most hardened of curmudgeons. Production and design elements are equally pleasing, with special mention of Fernando "Mama" Velázquez's score; the collapse of civilization is well-conceived and rendered. The Spanish cast, all of whom are virtual unknowns in the U.S., form a fine ensemble under the able direction of the Pastor brothers.

Despite the subsequent misfire of "Out of the Dark," I look forward to catching up to "Self/less" and whatever projects the Pastors may tackle in the future. Recommended apocalyptic fiction fans of all stripes.
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6/10
Agoraphobic in Barcelona
petra_ste12 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A low-budget, post-apocalyptic sci-fi movie about an epidemic of agoraphobia? Alarm bells were ringing loudly when I started watching this. And yet, it's better than it had any right to be: if you can get past the preposterous - and too-obviously symbolic - premise, it's a interesting effort.

Performances are fine. I was familiar with none of the actors - except for absurdly cute Leticia Dolera, who has a minor role - and their turns here are powerful. Direction by the Pastor brothers, while occasionally overwrought - there are more Dolly zooms in this movie than in Peter Jackson's whole filmography - is competent and features some remarkable sequences and chilling moments.

6,5/10
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6/10
A different view of Barcelona but there is not much to witness
ajit210622 August 2013
A mysterious epidemic similar to agoraphobia but with fatal outcome, extends worldwide, so that people cannot go outside, they were forced to take refuge in buildings and other enclosed spaces. Marc a computer programmer trapped in his company will try to meet his girl through the subway line and makeshift tunnels.

The new Pastor Brothers film, (Carriers 2009), is visually very powerful, both in photography and in the types of plans, showing an unusual Barcelona, scorched and desolate, but mostly deserted, with streets and avenues without a soul, a lawless city.

Good attempt at criticism from managers trying to make us reflect on our current way of life, so far from our natural origins. That with the help of a well-selected soundtrack might make more conscious thought to the room.

In terms of in script, it is the Achilles heel of the movie, because development of the story is very predictable, full of clichés and are not surprising, what is worst of all, dealing with an original idea in which people cannot go outside, it is unable to generate anxiety and claustrophobia in the viewer, giving the feeling that we are again faced an adventure story before an almost apocalyptic thriller.

6/10
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6/10
Spanish apocalypse with a twist
Leofwine_draca25 September 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Another day, another apocalypse movie, but the Spanish THE LAST DAYS has the usual superior filmmaking qualities we've come to expect from that country to recommend it. The idea of an 'agoraphobia virus' is cleverly conceived and builds a different kind of plot in which our heroes must stay either indoors or underground. It's a refreshing change from the usual milling zombies or random psycho attacks. As usual, the film depicts expansive events as a backdrop yet focuses on a small family drama at the forefront, and generally it works. I did find the lead actor a bit bland although his boss is much more interesting. THE LAST DAYS is spoilt a little by a sentimental climax, but there's enough suspense and action elsewhere to see it through well enough.
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4/10
Started great, transitioned to a run-of-the-mill action movie.
rpdibley3 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
The premise for this movie was something pretty original. There is a worldwide epidemic in which people become agoraphobic when they go outside, suffer a heart attack, and die. It doesn't happen all at once, and there's no explanation for it. Clever. Marc is stuck at his workplace and the whole movie is about him trying to find his girlfriend. He teams up with a consultant, hired to "trim the fat" in his office, and who found a GPS to allow them to navigate amongst the sewers and underground mass transit tunnels. (GPS wouldn't work, but I'll give them a break here) That first 20 minutes of setup was done reasonably well. The concept was unique, and the way they introduced the back stories of the characters through flashbacks was done well. The character development was reasonable, at least as good as you can expect in a modern film, where directors just want to skip to the story or the action.

After that, the movie goes downhill rapidly. Instead of making it a realistic portrayal of a guy just struggling to find his girlfriend after a worldwide apocalypse, they turn it into a half-rate action movie, with gun fights, grizzly bear attacks, "Waterworld" shopping mall gangs, exploding camp stoves, etc.... The supporting characters are kept only so long as they're needed by Marc, then they're thrown away at the script's earliest convenience. It ends with a happy ending, but by that point, you really don't care that much because, with a movie like this, you know how it's going to end already.

Could have been great... oh well.
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6/10
Original premise, but originality is greatly overrated.....
deacon_blues-36 August 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A world wide deadly plague of......agoraphobia? Pulleeze!

Yes, many of us are tired of the same old zombie apocalypse, but agoraphobia? Seriously?

Yes, seriously. But what horrors does this leave us with? Not showering. Not shaving. Body odor. Excessive facial hair. Primitive living conditions. Food and fuel shortages. WOW! TERRIFYING!

Sorry, but this just doesn't sound all that bad to me. It's way better than mindless hordes of the infected, who feel neither pain nor fear, all trying to eat your face off 24/7/365!

The good acting and production value of this film are all wasted on a plot that lacks any compelling motivation.

"OH NO! I'm trapped indoors but need to find my pregnant girl friend, but someone stole my GPS!"

How do you say "Bummer!" in Spanish?

(YAWN!)
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2/10
Non sense movie
adriatiky27 November 2020
I still dont know what was the point in this movie, they cant go outside, but they can still stay inside glass-windows, breath same air, see from inside??Then What's cousing the symproms?
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10/10
Shelter in place in the year 2020
aquaphoenix31 March 2020
Who else came here because of the COVID-19 quarantine? The premise of "The Last Days" is different than what we are dealing with, but long /short of it, is that people can't be outside. Despite it being a horror/thriller, I remember it being a beautiful compelling and haunting film when I first saw it nearly 7 years ago. Now I'm inspired to re-watch it 😊
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6/10
Fans of the genres of post-apocalypses, drama, and melodrama will find something of their own.
allpavel3 August 2020
The Last Days is a Spanish sci-fi thriller directed by David and Àlex Pastor. A mysterious epidemic of agoraphobia has spread across the planet. Survivors hide underground or inside buildings. An epidemic caught the office worker Mark (Quim Gutiérrez) at work. His wife remained at home. He cannot go out into the street. Therefore, in order to return to his wife, Mark begins a journey through underground communications. Filming took place in Barcelona. The budget was 5.5 million euros. This is the brothers' second full-length film. Their first film ('Carries') was devoted to the problem of infection with an unknown virus. In The Last Days, they preferred not to disclose the causes of the disease, but periodically hinting at the infectious component. Thus, the emphasis was shifted from the deep working-out of the surrounding world to personal relationships between the main characters. The complete evolution of these relationships is shown. In the beginning - the boss and subordinate, in the end - friends sacrificing themselves. For audiences who want to see primarily post-apocalyptic drama, this shift in focus can be confusing. After all, if you start thinking about the world in which the events take place, then you understand how poorly it is worked out. The second half of the film begins to wear a purely melodramatic shade and you completely forget from the atmosphere of the epidemic. Only a few scenes remind of her. Wonderful actors have been selected for the leading roles. They coped with the roles perfectly. They were able to convey the relationship well. In general, the film came out well. But due to its genre-blurring, it is very difficult to select the target audience. Fans of the genres of post-apocalypses, drama, and melodrama will find something of their own. None of them will be satisfied.
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5/10
A strange view of Barcelona
sara-martin-112 October 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I had high expectations about 'Los últimos días' as Barcelona is not precisely an habitual setting for sci-fi films. In the end, though, the setting was one of the main problems for me, or rather, the absurd pilgrimage that the Pastor brothers force their characters to undertake. I know that New Yorkers must be used to having the geography of their city distorted on film but, believe me, there were 100 more solid alternatives to the erratic wandering of the two protagonists. I'm left, then, with some impressive moments, like the burning of a well-known city landmark and that lost deer.

The film also suffers from the weakness of the last segment, which asks us to stretch our credibility to impossible limits by simply ignoring the many difficulties that trying to survive in a very hostile environment must entail.

Quim Gutiérrez and Jose Coronado are, as usual, excellent but I wished Marta Etura had been given a more interesting role - or that she was the one in search of her lost boyfriend.
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7/10
Fear Kills
Tweetienator25 December 2018
If you like Quiet Place and Bird Box this one is made for you - the plot: people get afraid of the open and die of fear. The only weak part (in my opinion) is the solution, the end, a little too much cliche for my taste here. Everything else, acting, production etc., is pro and of international level. Good One.
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7/10
Good Spanish film
eddie-3282623 September 2019
Firstly, its a Spanish film with subtitles, just in case you're not into films like that.

That being said, I like foreign films, as they tend to sometimes touch upon things that the US/UK market never do.

This is an interesting concept for a film. Over time, people start to not want to go outside, as it may kill them. Its not like its a floating virus, as they even had the doors open, breating the air, and it was fine. But step out of the door...

And that's what makes this a different type of film. How do people live, if they can't go outside. Think happy thoughts for the city dwellers, they have sewers, undergrounds, supermarkets.

But what happens if you were a poor sod who opted for the country living, where your only food is outside?

I recommend this film, sure it has its moments that we all feel like 'what?....why didn't....?' but overall, its interesting.
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6/10
very original
cool_andhot15 June 2019
Spanish directors know how to build a story with emotions attached to it. This apocalyptic story is well acted and directed. I loved the ending.
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7/10
I'm not going out
stevelomas-694018 December 2018
A very Spanish take on a post apocalypse society with a fairly original idea for the end of the world. Whilst the acting is variable the execution of the plot has meaning. Rather annoyingly the last 20 minutes gets very silly and spoils the film.
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3/10
Popcorn Pandemic
ThurstonHunger28 November 2020
Seemed like the pandemic was the right time to watch this, and I had success with some earlier Spanish Sci-Fi, so popped this on the quarantine screen.

The surprise for me was the production level, if the goal was to make a Hollywood film without Hollywood, bravo. So popcorn-wise, this is a success, and maybe there is already a US remake with Will Smith in the lead role. Unfortunately that is not what I was looking for, and this film does so much foreshadowing, you might as well call it force-shadowing.

An engaging enough action film, and of course I might have missed palabras or even paraulas. There is a slight thread of absent fathers/sons and the way they handle the plague might bother some more determined viewers, but I actually liked that.

As with many films, watching currently during Covid-19, there are different echoes from life to the film (at least in subtitles at one point, a newscaster or talking head refers to the notion of a "Hoax").
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7/10
Never a dull moment
justahunch-7054917 October 2022
Not quite sure what is wrong with me with my endless fascination with end of the world movies, which this sort of is, but at least in this one the damned dead stay that way. This Spanish film is very well made with outstanding production values and decent performances especially from the the lead, Quim Gutiérrez. The plot is simple. Most people seem to die if they go outdoors and they and we never find out why. This is a not always logical film about a man searching for his girlfriend amongst the dead, violence and much mayhem. How it wraps up is rather interesting, but any more words about that would give away too much. It's a serious piece, again well made, but there are some happenstances that are a little hard to swallow to get to an intriguing finale.
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5/10
Spoilers people
tommyp-806824 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Did I mention how much I hate subtitles because I really do very very much I spend more time looking at the words than paying attention to the film itself but with the ultra fresh premise it kept me drawn into it. The fact that the filmmakers made something simple as this made it interesting because for me I wondering how would they successfully pull it off. The constant flashbacks helped a ton to understand how it a began & made it more interesting as the movie continues it becomes another end of the world flick but with an interesting premise. Even heading to the climax when he tells him "you're gonna walk across that street I started thinking wait a minute why the hell couldn't you do that earlier rather than to be in a claustrophobic space throughout the film. But long & behold he makes it which afterward seem like the entire concept now has been crushed in the final minutes of the films end. When his fellow traveler dies before him I didn't really care too much it seemed as though they tried to force them to be best friends when the feeling of them even getting to that level was never executed properly all In all the premise was grade a I just didn't like the ending too much probably wouldn't watch it a second time but I don't feel like I wasted time watching it still wouldn't get me to recommend it to anyone
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9/10
Superlative effort; great sci-fi
gustavo113828 July 2013
"Los Ultimos Dias" is an excellent offering in the post apocalyptic sci- fi sub genre, in the best tradition of films like "The Road" and "Blindness". The story has a simple premise: what if, one day, for unknown reasons humans are unable to survive out in the open? "Los Ultimos Dias" tackles this premise head on and cleverly plays out the consequences of how humanity would deal with this problem, how would it move about, how would it find food, etc. The acting is solid throughout, as is the cinematography and the special effects, which were never unconvincing or distracting. The story itself is very well told, nicely paced, and never stretches believability. I'd also like to mention the wonderful musical score that beautifully complemented the visuals. This was an engaging, intelligent, and beautiful film that I can't wait to watch again.
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6/10
Interesting...
Thanos_Alfie9 March 2023
"The Last Days" is an Action - Fantasy movie in which we watch a mysterious pandemic spreading in the world and people cannot go outside so, everyone is trapped inside buildings or underground.

I found this movie very interesting since it presented a huge and very serious subject, that of a pandemic spreading all over the world and affects people. The direction which was made by both David Pastor and Àlex Pastor who are aldo the writers, it was very good and they presented very well and realistic how a pandemic affects people and how easy life can change. The interpretations of both Quim Gutiérrez who played as Marc and Jose Coronado who played as Enrique were very good and their combination and the dynamic between their characters worked very well. All in all, I have to say that "The Last Days" is an interesting movie and I recommend you to watch it.
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4/10
Missed opportunity
El-Pata28 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Post-apo genre is one of my favorites, so when I checked a short preview text for this movie I was really excited to watch it. Lots of very good, small productions do not reach the broader audience, which is a pity.

The construction of this movie, alternate between flash backs and the ongoing action pretty nicely builds up the plot and makes the movie enjoyable and intriguing to watch. It is all fine until the script writers / director decided to add to it a bit of 'spice', which made it look just silly.

The whole population of Barcelona has been stuck indoors for about 3 months.

Then the main protagonists meet in some church and fight a bear?

The population of a shopping mall, divided itself between floors and turned into some wild, blood hungry tribes? Using even camouflage paint?

After only 3 months of post-pandemic reality??

This was so ludicrous to watch that I found myself cringe and embarrassed. Cmon.... It seems to me the script writer was short on ideas and filled the gaps with this silly stuff.

Pitty, because overall the theme is very attractive and the proposed variant was interesting to explore.

I will surely never watch again, but despite the relatively low rating I give, it is still an enjoyable movie.
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2/10
Trailers , tracks, cars
santasa9931 August 2017
So, humanity of the 21st century, the advanced civilization of mega-construction ventures which turned Earth into hive of glass, steel and concrete, crashes due to the epidemic of lethal agoraphobia ?

The doom and utter humanity failure is best illustrated by the film authors when the main hero crosses a smaller city square at the end - beside regular "love conquer fear" trope, it panders viewer to ask whether the epidemic caused a scourge of fear of the open space or the impasse of immense stupidity ? Or did he take man's ingenuity and imagination ?
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3/10
Waste of time!
ststoessel28 March 2020
1-dimensional characters act totally silly.

Nothing more to say.
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