The Last Hour - A Scenic Thriller

Amit Kumar's The Last Hour recently dropped on Amazon Prime Video. Before we go further, know that there will be some spoilers. 

Sanjay Kapoor plays police officer Arup who has recently transferred from Mumbai to a town in Sikkim. Very early we learn that his wife Nyima, played by Raima Sen, is no more and he has moved to the town with his daughter Pari. The character portrayed by Shaylee Krishen feels eerie from the moment you set eyes on her. However, Dev, played by Karma Takapa, is the main character here.

Dev is a shaman who holds a special power. He can travel through a dead person's last hour to learn the reason behind the person's death. He can talk to souls and helps them cross over to the afterlife. He does this with his brother's soul and is how he meets Arup.

He then goes on to help him learn the reason behind an actress's murder which is where we are introduced to the lead villain of the show, Yama Nadu. He has apparently killed the actress and her driver as he is looking for THE ONE, the man who has the very power that Dev has. Basically, he is looking for Dev, he just doesn't know this yet.

The Story

News about Dev's power spreads and Yama Nadu finally knows who this person is. However, he now lives in a police cabin and so, the hunt begins. We see more murders happening in the town, and Yama Nadu is behind most of them.  

Let's come back to Arup's daughter, Pari. She meets Dev when she is trying to jump off a cliff but Dev mysteriously reaches the spot and saves her (He also sees Raima here). She is plagued by her own demons and is looking to understand how her mother died. Meanwhile, on one of his 'Last Hour' travels, Dev sees Pari, and shockingly, Pari can see Dev too. She gradually understands that Dev can see souls, which is what leads her to question him about her mother. But he tells her that he can't talk to her since it has been a long time since she died. 

The Romantic Angles

Amidst all this, two romantic angles also start developing. Dev and Pari's and Arup and his colleague Lipika's (Shahana Goswami). While the latter end up having a night of passion, Dev and Pari have been shown to keep things muted. While Pari is eager to have a relationship with Dev, he on the other hand, keeps his emotions subdued. He knows things with him are complicated and he cannot let Pari in harm's way. Then there is the added dilemma of her being Arup's daughter, and being involved with her would reflect poorly on his character.

Anti-climax

One night Pari is raped and left to die. Yama Nadu, his accomplice Thapa are the culprits besides one more person, we just don't know who it is. Arup calls Dev who then does his 'Last Hour' travel to see who killed Pari. He finds himself in the van in which Pari was raped. Yama Nadu knows that Dev is there and challenges him to stop him, which is obviously not possible Dev feels helpless. Meanwhile, Pari ends up in a coma

During the course of the story, Dev finds himself turning into a suspect and runs away to find out who the third person was. While Arup and Lipika think it is Dev, he is determined to find out who it is. 

This hunt leads the police and Dev to ultimately look for Yama Nadu. More events unfold, and Dev finds himself stuck in a time loop. He attempts to change the past in order to change the future, make sense? This is the basic premise of the climax, which technically, doesn't feel like a climax. Is a second season on the cards?

Worth watching?

While the story itself is mystical mixed with a dollop of thrill, there are a few flaws in the show. For one, it goes up and down. One moment the story is building, and the other it takes a weird turn where the pace breaks. But then it manages to get back on track and the mystery once again starts to build.

The show is not a fast-paced thriller and takes its own sweet time to reach a pinnacle that has the audience tied. It is definitely worth your time though.

Actors 

Karma kind of has a static expression, but it goes with his character and doesn't look misplaced. 

Sanjay Kapoor does a good job as the police officer who is trying to navigate the world of shamans. He could have worked a bit more on the chemistry between him and Shahana and his relationship with his daughter.

Robin Tamang as Yama Nadu does justice to the role and looks as villainous as a villain can.

Shahana shines as usual in the role of a police officer and a single mother.

Oh, the Hills! 🔺ㅿ🔺

We cannot end without mentioning the picturesque setting of the show. It is mesmerizing and makes you miss all those vacations you took when things in the world were normal. SIGH!!! Wish we are able to explore it in person freely and without the fear of this virus once again.