168 Hours (2022 film)

168 Hours is a 2022 American apocalyptic drama film directed by Adam McKay and produced by McKay, Will Ferrell, Basil Iwanyk, and Gabe Frost. The film stars Tom Holland, T.J. Miller, and Mila Kunis. The film is about 3 people, who try to spend their last days on Earth, as a 10-mile-wide comet, known as 2018 JLS-482 will impact in 1 week.

The film was released on March 18, 2022 by New Eden Pictures in the United States and by STX Films worldwide. It received mixed reviews from critics, and was a box-office success, grossing $90.5 million on a $30 dollar budget.

Plot
After news spread of a comet, known as JLS-482, expected to impact Earth in 1 week, friends Steve (Tom Holland), Bob (T.J. Miller), and Millie (Mila Kunis) plans on what to do for their final days on Earth.

As soon as they arrive in Los Angeles, California, they notice riots taking place in the downtown area. After a crazed lunatic later steals their car and heads off with it, the three friends have to take another car. When they arrive home, Bob plans to travel across America in three days, but Millie says it's not possible to travel across the country in that amount of time. Steve then says they should be robbing a bank. The next day, Steve steals a van from a stranger, and Bob and Millie enter the van, heads to the nearest bank, and point their guns to the people. After robbing the bank, they are caught in a police chase, and are being chased throughout L.A. Steve finds a spot where the police can't see them.

Being successful, the three head to San Francisco, where the city has fallen into anarchy due to riots. Steve meets up with Edward (Harrison Ford), Millie's father in the Presidio of San Francisco. Edward says that he needs them to come to his house. After arriving at his home, Edward gives a batch of coffee for Steve, Bob, and Millie. Millie asks Edward if he is coming with them to a shelter that is planned to be built once they get back. To their shock, Edward says no. Millie asks why, and Edward replied that he wants to meet with his wife, who died 5 years ago. Just then, a grenade is thrown into the room, exploding. The explosion kills Edward, leaving Millie in shock. The three leave the area, and heads back to Los Angeles, building their shelter.

As Steve turns on the TV, the news reveals that the comet will impact between South Korea and Japan. Steve soon finds out that more cities across the world are also starting to fall apart, due to the comet. Time-skip to 3 days later, which is exactly 3 days before impact. Bob finds out his brother died in Ireland due to a plane crash. Because of this, he is heartbroken, and Steve and Millie cheer him up with heading to a bar somewhere in Sacramento. They get on the road and head to the city.

With Sacramento in ruins, they hear music from a house across the street. When they open the door, they see large crowds of people partying during the end of the world. They encounter their D.J. friend Johnny (Jeremy Piven), who greets them with 3 cheers from the crowds. Johnny asks what they're doing here, and Steve says that Bob's brother died in a plane crash in Ireland. Johnny feels bad for him, but he says they're welcome in the party. While partying, Steve notices 3 people pouring gasoline onto his car, and one of them flicking a match. Steve is in shock that the car had exploded. He is very angry about the car being destroyed. They exit the party, finding another truck that is open.

Time-skip to 2 days later, 24 hours before the impact. The news reveals the comet to impact at around 2:32 AM, Pacific standard time. Millie hopes to have another call with her family in New York. Soon after 10 minutes, the phone line is online, and Millie is able to call her family, and hopes they're safe and doing anything they can to survive. As they are about to enter the shelter, it is revealed that the shelter had been destroyed due to pipe problems. With no shelter, the three chooses to die in the fire cloud. Steve isn't sure how they can survive this, but with no hope, they choose to give up. Exactly 5 minutes before impact, the three discuss their memories with each other, and are glad they got to spend time together. As the firestorm approaches, they braced for impact, indicating the end of life on Earth.

Cast

 * Tom Holland as Steve.
 * T.J. Miller as Bob.
 * Mila Kunis as Millie.
 * Jeremy Piven as Johnny.
 * Harrison Ford as Edward.

Production
In December 2020, Adam McKay was in talks with Will Ferrell to develop a film where three friends spend their last days on Earth as a comet approaches, borrowing elements from his then-upcoming film Don't Look Up. On May 23, 2021, Tom Holland was revealed to have joined the cast, with Mila Kunis the following day. On June 9, T.J. Miller joined the cast. McKay took inspiration from films such as Seeking a Friend for the End of the World and These Final Hours.

In July 2021, principal photography began in Los Angeles and ended in September.

Reception
The film was a box-office success, receiving $90.5 million on a $30 million budget.

Critical Response
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 43% based on 38 reviews, with an approval rating of 5.38/10. On Metacritic, the film has a score of 40 out of 100. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a B+ on a scale of A to F.