The party to end all parties. When the end of the world happens, why not go out in a bang. An afternoon all day rave. That’s what the new film, These Final Hours, by Australian director/screenwriter Zak Hilditch seems to focus on; a quest by the lead character James (played by genre favorite, Nathan Phillips). He wants to get to this party after a meteor strikes Europe and a ball of fire is only twelve hours away to finish off Australia and the rest of the world. Not post-apocalyptic, but completely apocalyptic.

James, a young man, depressed at the fate of himself and mankind, leaves his lover to head to his friend’s end of the world party. Drink, drugs, sex … a place to disappear into pleasure before death. But on his way he saves a young girl from a horrible end and suddenly he’s put into a quandary: should he use his last hours alive essentially to pass the time or should he instead do something meaningful. Just maybe his own belief system has given him little choice.

Part thriller, part human drama, These Final Hours asks more questions about not only one man’s “journey” but essentially the human condition as a whole. Nathan Phillips (Wolf Creek, Chernobyl Diaries, Dying Breed) channels James and his story of the prodigal son and the existential passage to deliverance that ultimately the character seeks. Dark Discussions along with guest host, author Kristi Petersen Schoonover, discuss their thoughts on this intense thriller focusing on the end of the world.