Dhruv Trivedi
‘Finch’ is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi drama that follows one of the last remaining men in the world as he undertakes an arduous cross-country journey. Accompanied by his pet dog and newly created robot, the film’s titular character attempts to find inhabitable areas even though he suspects that he might die. Despite overcoming a lot and surviving the brutal conditions that the film depicts, how far does Finch get? Does the film end with him alive or dead? Let’s find out. SPOILERS AHEAD.
Is Finch Dead or Alive?
The film’s titular character undertakes the epic cross country journey in order to escape a brutal storm that is expected to last weeks. However, what initially seems like a bad cough is soon discovered to be a deadly ailment slowly killing our hero. Thus, it is revealed quite early on in the film that Finch is dying. From the books he is seen referring to, it seems he has cancer caused by exposure to unfiltered sunlight. In fact, the film’s entire plot essentially hinges on Finch thinking that he is dying since he creates the humanoid robot to take care of his pet dog Goodyear once he is gone.
Despite growing increasingly weak, the film’s namesake struggles on and makes it to California. However, his ailments finally become too much, and Finch realizes he is about to die. He uses his last hours to feel the warmth of the sun on his skin and tries to persuade his two companions, the canine and the robot, to become friends. The last thing that Finch does before heading into his R.V. for the final time is he gives Jeff a ball and implores him to play with Goodyear so that the dog begins to trust him.
Eventually, Finch’s faithful pet realizes that something is wrong and remains by the bedside of his master. Though we don’t see Finch die, the howls from the heartbroken canine that suddenly start emanating from the R.V. tell us that he is dead. We subsequently see Jeff make a small pyre and cremate his creator’s body. Thus, the film’s protagonist very clearly dies near the film’s closing.
Finch’s death is an important aspect of the movie as it shows how the man undertakes such a difficult journey not to save himself but to ensure his dog’s safety. In fact, as mentioned earlier, the creation of Jeff is also motivated by Finch’s impending death. Goodyear, too, only warms up to Jeff once he realizes that their master is gone, and it is now down to just the two of them.
The film closes with Jeff and Goodyear completing Finch’s dying wish and walking on the Golden Gate bridge. Despite the protagonist dying, the film closes on a hopeful note that suggests that the Earth is slowly healing and that humanity might get another chance. The fresh foliage around Finch’s grave also reinforces the feeling of new life, and in the end, the titular character’s death essentially becomes a symbol of an old, destructive generation of humans dying and making way for the world’s new residents.
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