Review of End of Days (1999) by Filipeneto — 24 Feb 2018

As we approach the turn of the millennium, the Devil seeks to fulfill the prophecies about the birth of the Antichrist, looking for a bride in New York. Directed by Peter Hyams, with a script by Andrew W. Marlowe, this film has Arnold Schwarzenegger, Gabriel Byrne and Robin Tunney in the main roles.

One of the last films of the past millennium, it precisely addresses the end of it and the apocalyptic prophecies about that. It's a quite grim film, which puts the audience in suspense from the very beginning. The dark picture helps to amplify these feeling, with the most scenes taking place at night or on foggy or rainy days in New York, depicted like a real and decadent "sin city". The darkest character is undoubtedly the Devil, but the police fighting against him (played by Schwarzenegger) also has to face his own demons: alcohol, deep depression, lack of faith and lack of self-confidence, in a double combat, physical and psychological.

The film has great action scenes which strangely cohabit with several heavier scenes, almost terror. In fact, this is the major flaw of the film: it lives in a permanent dilemma between terror and action, thriller and suspense. We cannot say it's a horror movie or a thriller, or action. It's a mixture of all, which ends up easily displeasing the public looking for just one (particularly the terror lovers, as the film never gets to scare us truly). The climax is very interesting, makes good use of special visual and sound effects, manages to surprise and not be predictable, but some of the effects (the monster) are so "cliché" and far-fetched that destroy what was good.

The work of the actors is fairly good. This film marks the end of a comedy decade in Schwarzenegger's career, and he seems convincing in his role and doesn't make mistakes, giving another proof of versatility. He wanted, truly, show that it's not only a lot of muscles, and he succeeded. Robin Tunney looks a bit bland and hysterical in the role of Christine. Byrne made an interesting devil, very calm and cold, able to boot chills through the simple look. The soundtrack doesn't stand out particularly, with the exception of "Agnus Dei", it's main music, combining incidental chords with small arrangements of Gregorian chant.