TL;DR – It was a fascinating and emotional film, but I did walk away with a number of questions that did not quite sit right with me.

Post-Credit Scene – There is no post-credit scene.

Disclosure – I paid to watch this film.

The Last Journey Review –

There are some films that you don’t know what you are getting yourself into before you sit down. Today, the fact that this film is called The Last Journey gave me a little guide on where we were going to drive. However, this is one of those films that no matter how prepared you are walking in, you will still be an emotional mess by the end [or in the first five minutes if you are me].

So, to set the scene, back in 2008, Lars Hammar retired from teaching to enter his glorious third age. However, instead of freeing himself to explore the world, Lars has retreated into his lovely armchair from Belgium and seems content to stay there until he passes. Well, his son Filip has decided that it is time to get his father out of whatever funk he has found himself in by taking him on the same journey to the south of France that they used to do every year when they were children. Show him the world from the back of a small orange vintage car and hope that they restart that spark in him. Well, that is the plan. The question is, can they even get out of Sweden?

I must say that I connected with this story right away, I’ve seen grandparents go through this part of their lives, and my parents are starting to get close to this age, and you can’t help but get sucked in with a genuine want to see Lars find himself again. There is an instant bond there that you can’t help but feel, and you have complete buy-in on Filip and Fredrik Wikingsson’s drive to help find that spark. I believe they are a comedian duo from Sweden, and that bond really shines through. Because you have that instant investment, you start feeling those emotional beats right from the start. I was an emotional mess in the first five minutes, and by the end, I needed to take some time to compose myself before I showed my face to the world again. It perfectly balanced that emotion of concern with hope, delight, and some entirely amusing moments. I will say that it also helps that Lars is perhaps one of the most sympathetic subjects I have seen examined. Just maybe don’t take any suncare advice from the man.   

While the focus of the documentary is the main draw, I would like to give a shout-out to the production team. For a film like this to work, there needed to be at least one follow car with all the production, but all filming paraphernalia slips seamlessly into the background. It is so much so that I wonder if some of the cameras were digitally edited out in post; however, this is a seamless production from start to finish. For example, I loved the bombastic music that gave you the energy to keep going and perfectly fit that drive into the French Riviera. Also, a special mention goes to the people who made that map because it was a good map. It was also fascinating how they incorporated all those old videos, recordings, and photos into the work. Bringing the past to life in interesting and unique ways.    

However, while I was encapsulated with the story from start to finish, some moments gave me pause. The first of these was in Malmö when Lars had a fall and was hospitalised. You could feel this tension between wanting to stay and be with his father and the pull of a production that is already in motion and, if stopped, won’t start again. This becomes even more stark once they get to the French Coastline, and Filip and Fredrik start manufacturing scenarios from the past that mean something to Lars. On the one hand, the film is upfront about these parts being less-than-genuine, and quite often, they don’t work, and we see that aftermath. But also, once you see the man behind the curtain, you then start wondering in your mind what else is staged, and even if the answer is ‘nothing’, that question persists.   

In the end, do we recommend The Last Journey? While there may be some issues in the mix, it was still such a delight to watch. At the core of this documentary is the love of a son for their father, and that hook is so powerful you can’t help but get taken along with the flow. This is a film that will sit on my heart for years to come for its beauty and that perfect ending.
Have you watched The Last Journey? Let us know what you thought in the comments below. If you liked The Last Journey, we would recommend to you For The Love Of Spock.

By Brian MacNamara: You can follow Brian on Twitter Here, when he’s not chatting about Movies and TV, he’ll be talking about International Relations, or the Solar System.

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Credits – All images were created by the cast, crew, and production companies of The Last Journey
Directed by – Filip Hammar & Fredrik Wikingsson
Music by – Christian Olsson
Cinematography by – Erik Persson, Erik Vallsten & Robin Trollin
Edited by – Johan Kjellberg Elgemark & Robin Wikner
Production/Distribution Companies – Nexiko, Nordisk Film Distribution, RMV Film & Universal Pictures
Featuring – Filip Hammar, Fredrik Wikingsson, Lars Hammar, Tiina Hammar, Emelie Boursault-Atlan & David Socquet-Clerc
Rating – Australia: PG; United Kingdom: PG;