The Final Wish (2018) was a movie I can across that is streaming for free on Hulu. The story focuses on a struggling lawyer in the city that returns home after his father passes away. Unfortunately for him, his family, and really the entire small town, his father's ashes are placed in an urn that is haunted by a jinn. This movie grabbed my attention because of the excellent cast that includes Lin Shaye (Insidious), Tony Todd (Candy Man), Michael Welch (Twilight) and Melissa Bolona (Acts of Violence). The story unwinds well and the creepy scenes are well done. The movie focuses on being more eerie than scary and the pieces of the puzzle within the subplots fitting together. Lin shaye delivers her character so well it makes the film worthwhile. This isn't a "great" movie but is worth a viewing. I'd give it a 5/10.
120 Reviews
A horror film for Lifetime fans
tkaine38 February 2019
5/10 🌠🌠🌠🌠🌠
Well this isn't an actual lifetime movie but that's the total vibe this movie has from start to finish. Cheesy jump scares of things that aren't there but as soon as the camera angles change they pop up out of nowhere. The actors are formidable a few you've seen before but have no idea what there names are. Categorized as a horror but a 10yo. could sit thru the film and never have to cover their eyes filled with fear. The plot of the movie is kinda reminiscent of other films like "The Brass Teapot" but not hardly as good. It follows a lawyer who's struggling to get a job, When his father dies he returns home and uncovers an old urn with mysterious powers.
The pace of the movie is kinda slow but not that bad most made for TV movies are predictable as this one definitely is. All in all the movie kept my attention for the most part and if your looking for family friendly horror this one will be right up your alley.
Mundane, predictable and generic...
paul_haakonsen14 February 2019
There were two reasons for why I decided to sit down and watch "The Final Wish". The first reason being solely that it is a horror movie, as I am a huge fan of the horror genre. And the second was that it had Lin Shaye on the cast list.
I had no expectations to the movie, so director Timothy Woodward Jr. had a clean slate to use for impressing me. However, it turned out that the storyline and plot for "The Final Wish" was subpar and less than mediocre, actually. The movie just seemed to run on autopilot and offered nothing new to the horror genre. Plus, the storyline was so predictable that you knew what happened well before it would transpire on the screen.
It should be said that the acting in the movie was adequate, despite the fact that the performers had very little to work with in terms of script, plot and characters.
I terms of it being a horror movie, then "The Final Wish" was frightfully devoid of anything even remotely scary or spooky. And when the big reveal was unveiled, it was just a shrug on the shoulder, because I had smelled it coming a mile away.
Did the movie had potential that wasn't utilized or exploited? No. Everything was put to use in the movie, just a shame that it was a bland experience and final product.
If you enjoy horror movies, then you should probably invest your time, money and effort in something else, because "The Final Wish" is a less than mediocre foray into the genre, offering nothing new or innovative.
I had no expectations to the movie, so director Timothy Woodward Jr. had a clean slate to use for impressing me. However, it turned out that the storyline and plot for "The Final Wish" was subpar and less than mediocre, actually. The movie just seemed to run on autopilot and offered nothing new to the horror genre. Plus, the storyline was so predictable that you knew what happened well before it would transpire on the screen.
It should be said that the acting in the movie was adequate, despite the fact that the performers had very little to work with in terms of script, plot and characters.
I terms of it being a horror movie, then "The Final Wish" was frightfully devoid of anything even remotely scary or spooky. And when the big reveal was unveiled, it was just a shrug on the shoulder, because I had smelled it coming a mile away.
Did the movie had potential that wasn't utilized or exploited? No. Everything was put to use in the movie, just a shame that it was a bland experience and final product.
If you enjoy horror movies, then you should probably invest your time, money and effort in something else, because "The Final Wish" is a less than mediocre foray into the genre, offering nothing new or innovative.
not good and simply boring
mageh9 February 2019
I love movies in horror/mystery category. And i am actually not very harsh critique when it comes to mysteries. But this one is not good. Was too slow, boring, and wasn't even sure in the end what is the twist. Just no, you can skip it unless you really have nothing else to do.
Not That Bad, but It's Not An Award Winner.
betchaareoffendedeasily12 February 2019
People are honestly, being incessantly harsh about this film, it isn't bad at all. Yes this film have many issues, but it isn't aspiring to High Art as other recent films such as "Us".. No, it's not really a horror film, I'd call it more of a strange supernatural thriller. BUT, it deserves about a 5.5-6.0 rating, it is above average, on the whole. Given that, I would like to note some of the positive aspects of the film up front:
1. There are a few decent twist through the progression of the film, and while it is very similar to "Wish Upon" or say "Wish Master" in terms of the overall concept is the same, but I could say that about thousands of stories and movies, so that's irrelevant. The way the story is told is different, and I think, for at least some of the film, fairly unique. 2. The lighting is used very well, with constant blue and red hues that help set an ominous tone, it is similar to the lighting used in "Mandy", but it is not "copying" it is used in an entirely different way and is used to enhance the overall mood.. 3. The overall visual aesthetic and setting of the film are great with the rural setting being used to ample affect and the old houses it is set in is beautiful in is being used very well in terms of how it is filmed. 3. The acting on the whole is very good. It is above average for a film of this nature. Lin Shaye, however, does put in a bit of a scenery chewing performance here, and is extremely entertaining, I don't think she had allusions about the quality of the film she was making. Michael Welch is likeable as well in the lead. 4. The initial set-up is great, with the opening scene, and the background of the our protagonist being minimally expounded, and actually creates some intrigue as people confront his absence, it hints at more than the script ever reveals unfortunately. 5. The pacing of the film is good, it is steady, and moves at a moderate pace. 6. As stated earlier, the story has a few decent twist. 7. The cinematography, and the way the rural setting is filmed is beautiful. 8. The score is nice and is on the whole very subtle and affecting.
The primary problem I had with this film is not what most people will likely point out, but rather that at about the 40 minute mark, it suddenly drops the thread about the main character being a general jerk, and likely highly absent-minded and forgetful person who hurt a lot of people unintentionally. Why was this dropped? Unfortunately, it was due to the conventions of the plot. This film hews so close to some common plot conventions inherent in this type of film, that it unfortunately loses one of the more interesting things about the film film, and that was conflict between the lead character, his mom, and the town. We never quite understand why he made the decisions he did, and I really felt if we did, even despite some of the contrite and contrived plot conventions, it really would have elevated this film. There are other minor quibbles such as silly jump scares and plot logic issues, but its FANTASY and overall, it's fairly rooted in reality for a rather fantastical, ocassionally silly, and at times trippy film.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable and decently entertaining diversion, that at least for a while, holds some mystery, and even when you know where the plot is going, you still at least have a few surprises left before the fairly predictable conclusion. Not at all as bad as these reviews on here are implying, it seems to me, they probably don't watch many films, because even if this film isn't mind blowing, it is, when all things are considered; slightly above average.
Coming from someone who has watched most of the worst horror films of the 1980's, if you liked "Mirror Mirror" or "Witchboard", I see no reason not to like this one. Heck "Urban Legend" has a better rating and that film is filled with moronic jump scares and idiotic plot conventions, but it is entertaining, if you are rating those movies moderately or high and hate "The Final Wish", your might be missing the forest for the trees. Yes there are useless "Jump scares", but so what, what modern suspense film doesn't have them? "Rings" and "Ouija" currently have a slightly higher rating and this film is a heck of a lot better than "Rings" and "Ouija" in so many regards its ridiculous.
God Bless ~Amy
1. There are a few decent twist through the progression of the film, and while it is very similar to "Wish Upon" or say "Wish Master" in terms of the overall concept is the same, but I could say that about thousands of stories and movies, so that's irrelevant. The way the story is told is different, and I think, for at least some of the film, fairly unique. 2. The lighting is used very well, with constant blue and red hues that help set an ominous tone, it is similar to the lighting used in "Mandy", but it is not "copying" it is used in an entirely different way and is used to enhance the overall mood.. 3. The overall visual aesthetic and setting of the film are great with the rural setting being used to ample affect and the old houses it is set in is beautiful in is being used very well in terms of how it is filmed. 3. The acting on the whole is very good. It is above average for a film of this nature. Lin Shaye, however, does put in a bit of a scenery chewing performance here, and is extremely entertaining, I don't think she had allusions about the quality of the film she was making. Michael Welch is likeable as well in the lead. 4. The initial set-up is great, with the opening scene, and the background of the our protagonist being minimally expounded, and actually creates some intrigue as people confront his absence, it hints at more than the script ever reveals unfortunately. 5. The pacing of the film is good, it is steady, and moves at a moderate pace. 6. As stated earlier, the story has a few decent twist. 7. The cinematography, and the way the rural setting is filmed is beautiful. 8. The score is nice and is on the whole very subtle and affecting.
The primary problem I had with this film is not what most people will likely point out, but rather that at about the 40 minute mark, it suddenly drops the thread about the main character being a general jerk, and likely highly absent-minded and forgetful person who hurt a lot of people unintentionally. Why was this dropped? Unfortunately, it was due to the conventions of the plot. This film hews so close to some common plot conventions inherent in this type of film, that it unfortunately loses one of the more interesting things about the film film, and that was conflict between the lead character, his mom, and the town. We never quite understand why he made the decisions he did, and I really felt if we did, even despite some of the contrite and contrived plot conventions, it really would have elevated this film. There are other minor quibbles such as silly jump scares and plot logic issues, but its FANTASY and overall, it's fairly rooted in reality for a rather fantastical, ocassionally silly, and at times trippy film.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable and decently entertaining diversion, that at least for a while, holds some mystery, and even when you know where the plot is going, you still at least have a few surprises left before the fairly predictable conclusion. Not at all as bad as these reviews on here are implying, it seems to me, they probably don't watch many films, because even if this film isn't mind blowing, it is, when all things are considered; slightly above average.
Coming from someone who has watched most of the worst horror films of the 1980's, if you liked "Mirror Mirror" or "Witchboard", I see no reason not to like this one. Heck "Urban Legend" has a better rating and that film is filled with moronic jump scares and idiotic plot conventions, but it is entertaining, if you are rating those movies moderately or high and hate "The Final Wish", your might be missing the forest for the trees. Yes there are useless "Jump scares", but so what, what modern suspense film doesn't have them? "Rings" and "Ouija" currently have a slightly higher rating and this film is a heck of a lot better than "Rings" and "Ouija" in so many regards its ridiculous.
God Bless ~Amy
Truly awful.
jaydee-597689 February 2019
The good reviews on here are clearly either paid for, or friends of the film makers/actors. This film is so bad! atrocious acting, horrible script, editing and cinematography. please don't waste your time like i did.
Lazy filmmaking.
Horror_Flick_Fanatic9 February 2019
Lazy screenwriting, god awful acting, and poor special effects. The makers of this film had no intent in putting any sort of effort into making even a mediocre average film. The film is worse than a low budget slasher film. If I could give it negative stars, I would. Negative -10
Melissa Bolona
echevalier10 April 2019
Quite enjoyable
kevindlinger9 May 2019
As a hardcore horror fan and not young I've seen alot of movies and while this may not be a scary jump scream movie it was very entertaining to watch ! Tony todd playing a more serious short role to waiting to hear the word wish in a statement to see outcome ! While movie was not scary it made you think on life if you wished for something so bad . Didnt expect the ending ! And as with everything there is a butterfly effect with your decisions you make in life !! Most people who make comments sees one scary movie that looks like this movie and then calls this junk ! Not a wishmaster movie but i did enjoy this and would say more suspenseful then horror film and every new movie i dont compair to others !!!
A kinda of a mixed soup
Gunnar_R_Ingibjargarson13 February 2019
A young lawyer to be is called home by his mother
after his father dies. The Final Wish is kinda like
many modern horror film, starts good but fall aparts
later on. Very predictable moments, and sometimes
very boring.
It has the same creepy vibe of Final Destination albeit without the budget....
Fella_shibby25 February 2019
An outta luck law student Aaron Hammond (Michael Welch) visits his grieving mom aft he finds out bah his dad's demise who was a collector of antiques. One of the item is a vase which can grant wishes cos of a jinn.
The Wishmaster (1997) had dealt with the similar subject,
Wish Upon (2017) again dealt with the similar concept with a bigger studio backing it n big star cast.
In my review of Wish Upon I had stated that fans of Final Destination will love it.
N now we hav The Final Wish which is written by Jeffrey Reddick, best known for creating the Final Destination (2000) film franchise.
What a coincidence.
But is The Final Wish better than Wish Upon? Well, without the backing of a big studio n without big star cast, this film managed to creep me out in few scenes n it does hold ur attention.
With Reddick as the writer, the film does maintain tension, suspense n the creepiness. Ther r few death sequences without any gore, ther is zero nudity, we get to c the luscious lips, Melissa Bolona bathing naked with the soap foam on her boobs n some weird n irritating noises n laughter.
The director is a bit novice here n the ending isn't that impactful.
The cinematography is good with the bright daylight outside the house which stands all alone besides two trees n a dark n sinister vibe inside the house with all the scary antiques, especially the chair.
The cast is decent with the likes of Tony Todd in a small role, Michael Welch, Melissa Bolona (luscious lips) n Lin Shaye. Of lately Shaye has become synonym with horror films.
It was decent, but could have been better
tbd200414 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I'm usually forgiving when it comes to B rate movies. Some are horrible and others are masterpieces. I would say this falls somewhere in between. I enjoyed it, but kind of chuckled when the monster was revealed for how cheesy it looked. However, since the movie had a small budget to work with, I can look past that. Overall, it was definitely worth a watch and I don't feel that I wasted my time at all. It is certainly better than some of the films that make it to the big screen. It's reminiscent of the Wishmaster series with a Djinn granting wishes that have twisted consequences in exchange for their soul. So if you enjoyed the Wishmaster series like I have, this is right up your alley.
Slow But Picks Up In The Last 40 Minutes
michaelant5559 March 2019
There are a lot of 1 star reviews here. It doesn't deserve that.
A struggling (and a pretty self-absorbed) lawyer who's dad has just died gets called home. Among his dad's things is an old urn (or something) with a Devil's head on top. As he starts making wishes he doesn't realize they're coming true until he begins seeing the pattern.
For the first half it's very slow and kind of uneventful which probably put some people off and there are some quite eccentric moments involving his mother but this is nowhere near as bad as some people are making it out to be
I can see how someone might give this 4 stars but certainly not any lower. I've given it what I think is a genuine 5. I managed to sit right through it , anyway which is a pretty good indication it isn't THAT bad.
A struggling (and a pretty self-absorbed) lawyer who's dad has just died gets called home. Among his dad's things is an old urn (or something) with a Devil's head on top. As he starts making wishes he doesn't realize they're coming true until he begins seeing the pattern.
For the first half it's very slow and kind of uneventful which probably put some people off and there are some quite eccentric moments involving his mother but this is nowhere near as bad as some people are making it out to be
I can see how someone might give this 4 stars but certainly not any lower. I've given it what I think is a genuine 5. I managed to sit right through it , anyway which is a pretty good indication it isn't THAT bad.
Boring
cole-7412217 February 2019
I actually did like the concept of this movie, but the casting was so awful that it ruined anything that could have been. Specifically the character "Lisa", I really believe they pulled her directly from a porn set because her acting was wretched. This did have potential to be good, but it just wasn't. Such a shame that Lin Shaye was in this, I love her. You know, this had a strong Are You Afraid of the Dark vibe too... ugh so many things went wrong.
The underwhelming wish
TheLittleSongbird5 November 2019
Did not watch 'The Final Wish' with the intent to dislike it. The advertising was cool and creepy and the concept while nothing new did spark interest. Also consider Lin Shaye and Tony Todd not bad actors at all, consider both talented actually though the films they choose to feature in too often don't do them enough justice even when they are bright spots.
That is the case with 'The Final Wish'. Don't consider it that awful or bad enough to make one bail early on (have seen far worse films in the genre and in general), but do agree with the general consensus (seemingly) here that deemed it as underwhelming and not really a good film at all. Not irredeemable by all means, there are a few things that rise it above dreck level only just but there is more bad than good and the flaws sadly are really quite big.
Shaye is a redeeming merit, in full command of her material regardless of it being severely wanting and attacking it with great dilligence and gusto without going over the top. Todd doesn't have anywhere near enough to work with with too short screen time and again wanting material, but he also shows conscientuousness and chills by that voice alone.
For low budget, 'The Final Wish' could have looked a lot worse, even though still not great overall it's not amateur hour. The scenery has eeriness and there is some atmosphere in the lighting.
More focused and less rushed-looking photography would have made them shine more, and the erratic editing is a big detriment. Other than Shaye and Todd, the acting is awful with the epitome of ineptitude in all senses Melissa Bolona giving one of the worst ever performances in recent years. Michael Welch is on autopilot but he is nowhere near as bad as Bolona. The characters have nothing interesting or endearing about them, no development to them really and their decision making and the way they behave makes one frustrated with them. The script is as limp as soggy cucumber sandwiches and felt like a rough draft that had not been properly completed or proof read.
It's the pace and story that doom 'The Final Wish'. There is nothing scary or suspenseful whatsoever, in fact there didn't seem to be any atmosphere at all other than dreariness, and it takes forever to get going and never really kicks into gear when something significant finally does happen too long a way in. Everything feels bland and silly, there is far too much of a seen it all before vibe (not a new idea at all and nothing fresh is done with it) and parts are even confusing. The ending is not a completely predictable one, but it felt anaemic and dragged out like the rest of 'The Final Wish'.
Overall, didn't find it a complete waste of time but it was not a good way of spending it all the same. 3/10
That is the case with 'The Final Wish'. Don't consider it that awful or bad enough to make one bail early on (have seen far worse films in the genre and in general), but do agree with the general consensus (seemingly) here that deemed it as underwhelming and not really a good film at all. Not irredeemable by all means, there are a few things that rise it above dreck level only just but there is more bad than good and the flaws sadly are really quite big.
Shaye is a redeeming merit, in full command of her material regardless of it being severely wanting and attacking it with great dilligence and gusto without going over the top. Todd doesn't have anywhere near enough to work with with too short screen time and again wanting material, but he also shows conscientuousness and chills by that voice alone.
For low budget, 'The Final Wish' could have looked a lot worse, even though still not great overall it's not amateur hour. The scenery has eeriness and there is some atmosphere in the lighting.
More focused and less rushed-looking photography would have made them shine more, and the erratic editing is a big detriment. Other than Shaye and Todd, the acting is awful with the epitome of ineptitude in all senses Melissa Bolona giving one of the worst ever performances in recent years. Michael Welch is on autopilot but he is nowhere near as bad as Bolona. The characters have nothing interesting or endearing about them, no development to them really and their decision making and the way they behave makes one frustrated with them. The script is as limp as soggy cucumber sandwiches and felt like a rough draft that had not been properly completed or proof read.
It's the pace and story that doom 'The Final Wish'. There is nothing scary or suspenseful whatsoever, in fact there didn't seem to be any atmosphere at all other than dreariness, and it takes forever to get going and never really kicks into gear when something significant finally does happen too long a way in. Everything feels bland and silly, there is far too much of a seen it all before vibe (not a new idea at all and nothing fresh is done with it) and parts are even confusing. The ending is not a completely predictable one, but it felt anaemic and dragged out like the rest of 'The Final Wish'.
Overall, didn't find it a complete waste of time but it was not a good way of spending it all the same. 3/10
Slow boring dumb
jtmace10 February 2019
Lisa's acting killed this movie.
draftdubya8 March 2019
It's no way she got hired for her acting skills. She has to have dirt on somebody, someone owes her a favor, or you know(wink). Her type would've never stayed in that town and dated the cop guy that looked 10 years older than the people he supposed to went to school with
HILARIOUS
armanwhannell26 April 2019
Not terrible, not great.
joriethomas19 September 2019
I love horror movies of all kinds, even cheesy low end ones. My son found this in a $3 bin at Walmart and noticed Tony Todd, I'm a huge Tony Todd fan, plus Lin Shaye, I was sold! It's very made for TV feeling, yes. The actress that plays Lisa is terrible, yes. It could've been better... Tony Todd and Lin Shaye could've had bigger parts too but it wasn't awful. I now own it, I might watch it one more time but that might be it lol. You only live once right lol.
Paranormal suspense Aladin meets Insidious
ScottRodriguez12 February 2019
The Final Wish kept my interest to the end. A great twist and lead off for potential continuing. Original idea Aladin meets Insidious. Again Lin Shaye, excellent performance as always. I was introduced to her in Detroit Rock City, another great. My Sweetheart found this on firestick and we like the ghosty horror stuff over the stabby. We heard of this movie at a filmmakers consortium and held interest since. Some up and coming names in The Final Wish that I know to look out for are Larry Poole and Gordon Woloson aka Gordon River. So I reccomend pop the corn switch off the lamps, light the candles and see The Final Wish.
Easy going cheesy B movie
saratonkinson29 August 2020
Not scary - just a mess
phd_travel24 February 2019
Michael Welch is a better actor than some of the movies he acts in and this is one of them.
The plot is too slow and the direction is choppy. Too many crucial plot elements are glossed over quickly in the dark.
Don't bother with this strange mush mash of horror elements.
The plot is too slow and the direction is choppy. Too many crucial plot elements are glossed over quickly in the dark.
Don't bother with this strange mush mash of horror elements.
A Mediocre Horror Movie With Few Good Elements
frankaphone12 February 2019
Warning: Spoilers
For an indie director working on a small budget, the film is well-shot cinematography wise, using neon colours mixed with teal and orange, creating an inhertently bigger budgeted cinematic tone and experience. However, the characters and their development along with the actual scares in the movie tend to fall flat. The scares are flat and predictable, but that I blame to scare execution. The movie takes 40 minutes to get going, making it feel like a chore, but afterwards the pacing picks up and the movie begins a breakneck pace, providing a few fun twists along the way. I think the lead girl who is dating the Sheriff is a beyond poor actress. Overall, the script, directing and acting are uneven, but show promise and potential. The scares are cheap predictable jumps you've seen before with a few creepy, cinematic and serviceably acted scenes.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
