To say that Arnold Schwarzenegger is an icon of science fiction action films would be an understatement. The Terminator is one of the most iconic films of the ‘80s and kicked off an entire franchise. Schwarzenegger also starred in 1987’s Predator, another film that birthed a major sci-fi franchise that is still thriving even now. However, for all of his memorable roles, there are some that have been largely forgotten, including one underrated gem from the ‘90s you probably have never seen but can change that because it’s now streaming on Prime Video.
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Released in 1999, End of Days stars Schwarzenegger along with Gabriel Byren, Robin Tunney, Kevin Pollack, Rod Steiger, and CCH Pounder and blends sci-fi elements with horror and action to tell a story that sees Schwarzenegger outside of his usual performance comfort zone as he faces ultimate evil. The film follows a flawed former NYPD detective (Schwarzenegger) who finds himself caught up in a religious battle after saving a banker where he must protect a young woman, Christine (Tunney), chosen by dark forces to give birth to the antichrist. It is a wild premise, and it’s unlike anything Schwarzenegger had appeared in at that point.
End of Days Is Schwarzenegger Action At Its Most Human
When it was released, End of Days didn’t exactly wow critics. The film sits at an 11% “rotten” score on Rotten Tomatoes. The film was also nominated for three Razzie Awards, including Worst Actor for Schwarzenegger, but you shouldn’t write the film off. End of Days may have a slightly convoluted, end of the millennium good versus evil plot that is at times very contrived, but it also features one of Schwarzenegger’s most human performances to date. His Jericho Cane is a deeply flawed and broken man who is barely getting through the day while dealing with immense grief and trauma. It puts him at almost a disadvantage when it falls to him to protect the young woman from Satan himself as he faces temptation, his own grief, and plenty of foes all in pursuit of Christine.
It’s that surprising emotional layer that elevates End of the World beyond merely a sci-fi or horror action flick and makes it something more. Jericho’s battle against evil to save the world ends up being as much about the man’s faith as it is about saving the world. It turns the film into less of a popcorn action film and more of a contemplation of morality. The film also taps into some of the anxieties about Y2K, thanks to the film being set on New Year’s Eve 1999 and with midnight being the deadline for Satan’s dark plans. Interestingly, that element of the film continues to work very well even 26 years later which makes End of Days a must-watch film this fall, now that it’s available to stream on Prime Video.
End of Days is now streaming on Prime Video.
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Image courtesy of 2th Century Studios -
image courtesy of 20th Century Studios
