“Finch” is a touching post-apocalyptic sci-fi film featuring Tom Hanks in the lead role, delivering yet another stellar performance. The movie revolves around Finch Weinberg (Hanks), an inventor and one of the last survivors of a global cataclysm that has left Earth uninhabitable. With a dying planet and a deadly solar flare in the background, the heart of this film is a deeply human story of companionship, survival, and legacy.
Finch lives with his loyal dog, Goodyear, and creates a humanoid robot, Jeff (voiced and motion-captured by Caleb Landry Jones), to care for the dog after he’s gone. The trio embarks on a journey across a desolate America, seeking safety and stability as Finch’s health deteriorates. Along the way, Finch imparts life lessons to Jeff, not only teaching him how to care for the dog but also about love, loyalty, and what it means to be human.
The film shines due to its small cast, particularly Tom Hanks’ performance. His portrayal of Finch—a man grappling with his mortality and responsibility to those he cares about—is both nuanced and deeply emotional. Caleb Landry Jones as Jeff, though a robot, brings humor, innocence, and a certain childlike curiosity that offers contrast to Finch’s more world-weary demeanor.
Visually, Finch excels with beautiful yet desolate landscapes of a ruined Earth. Director Miguel Sapochnik, known for his work on Game of Thrones, does an excellent job creating a world that feels bleak yet filled with hope. The CGI used to create Jeff is seamless, making him feel as real as any character in the film.
While the premise of a man and his robot companion is not new to the sci-fi genre, Finch focuses less on action and more on the emotional bond between the characters, which sets it apart. It’s a quiet, contemplative movie, with its strength lying in the simplicity of its storytelling. At its core, Finch is about the need for connection and leaving behind something meaningful in a world stripped of all else.