Finch

“Samira Wiley and Laura Harrier’s undisclosed roles were cut from Finch, leaving a cast that’s entirely white.”

Title: Finch (2021)
Director: Miguel Sapochnik 👨🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
Writers: Craig Luck 👨🏼🇺🇸 and Ivor Powell 👨🏼🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

User-submitted review by Caillou 👨🏼🇨🇦

—SPOILERS AHEAD—

Technical: 2/5

English director Miguel Sapochnik could’ve made any sort of post-apocalyptic film, maybe leaning on crowd-pleasing elements like all-out chaos, or chasing “prestige” status by showcasing the depths of human despair. Instead, he goes down an interesting route: In Finch, viewers observe a man, a new robot companion he built himself, and his beloved dog which give contemplative, slice-of-life vibes—rare for this type of story.

Sadly, though, Sapochnik struggles to inject a sense of personality or style into this film. The direction often feels too laid-back, as if he went with the flow and hoped it worked. He doesn’t feel in control here. Screenwriters Craig Luck and Ivor Powell don’t do a whole lot with the characters, either. Sure, we learn that Tom Hanks’ intrepid explorer Finch Weinberg is dying and wants to do whatever it takes to care for his dog and robot after he’s gone, but that’s about the extent of development here.

On the plus side, cinematography by Jo Willems is quite eye-popping. Wide shots beautifully display the sheer vastness of deserted St. Louis and there isn’t a dull frame to be found throughout.

Gender: 1.5/5
Does it pass the Bechdel Test? NOPE

Disappointingly, when it comes to gender, Finch doesn’t fare too well. The film was written and directed by a man with Hanks dominating the entire running time. Female cast members are reduced to minor roles such as Marie Wagenman appearing as Finch’s deceased daughter and Lora Cunningham as his deceased mother in flashback scenes early on. Emily Jones voices Finch’s Warning System and even still, she doesn’t have many lines.

Race: 1/5

If Finch avoids featuring women, it almost goes out of its way to erase people of color. Not a single cast member is non-white, which is frustrating because the film does have a few characters that populate its vast St. Louis setting. Interestingly, Samira Wiley and Laura Harrier were originally cast in this movie in undisclosed roles but their scenes were ultimately cut for unknown reasons.

Mediaversity Grade: F 1.50/5

Finch’s thoughtful take on the post-apocalyptic subgenre could’ve been interesting, but it doesn’t go anywhere unique with its story and lacks drive or punch due to its simplicity. Pair that with a severe lack of inclusivity, and you have yourself a real dud.

Like Finch? Try these other post-apocalyptic titles.

Grade: FLiDecember 6, 2021