Short Attention Span Review - Los Ultimos Dias (2013) - Mild Spoilers

What would happen if the entire human race suddenly developed a fatal for of agoraphobia and was confined to buildings and tunnels? That's what Los ultimos dias (The Last Days) takes as its premise. When I first saw this on Netflix and read the description "Stuck at the office? They've been there for months. Going out for some fresh air will get you killed" I thought it was a dark comedy. Well, it is dark, but it's not a comedy.

Marc (Quim Gutiérrez) is a programmer on the verge of losing his job thanks to efficiency expert Enrique (José Coronado). At home is his girlfriend, Julia (Marta Etura) who is, unbeknownst to him, pregnant. As the strange malady overtakes the entire world, Marc is stuck in his office tower. After three months, he and his colleagues manage to tunnel from their underground parking garage into the subway system. Marc and Enrique to embark on a quest to reach their loved ones, Julia and Enrique's father. Using the subways and sewers of Barcelona, they see how people have adapted to the new world. Some have turned into predators, while others retain their humanity. Will Marc be reunited with Julia? Will anyone ever be able to go outside again?

Los ultimos dias is greatly helped by the acting of the two leads Gutiérrez and Coronado. The actors do a great job of portray fairly complex characters who develop as the movie unfolds. The supporting cast is pretty good, although no one stays around long enough to be more than a one-note character. The image of a city slowly deteriorating is ably handled by the effects team. The camera work is good; in particular the use of light and shadows in the underground trek is shows how to use light to create interesting visual textures.

There are problems. First, keep in mind this is what I call "soft" sci-fi; an example of this kind of SF are Ray Bradbury's works. The ultimate explanation for what is happening has to be interpolated from the final scenes and doesn't make much "scientific" sense; however, it is an interesting message (which I won't give away). There are some plot holes/moments of suspension of disbelief, most revolving around how long people could survive if trapped inside of buildings. While I won't say where Julia is, the idea that she could've lasted there for over 3 months is hard to swallow. There are actually many moments like this is the film - like a bizarre moment involving a church and a bear - where you have to just shrug and say "okay, I guess I'll buy that." If the acting weren't as good or the story as interesting, this would definitely lead me to conclude "sloppy writing, don't bother." However, this is a touching, if grim story, and it is so well acted and executed visually, with enough things to say about human nature and the relationship of man to his world and to technology that you can accept some of the hand-waving needed to get over the plot holes.

Great film. Check it out.