What would you do on the last day of Earth’s existence? That’s the question posed by Abel Ferrara’s 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH, a low-key story focusing on a couple who spend their (and the planet’s) final hours together in a NYC studio apartment. No pyrotechnics, no CG – just an intimate drama focusing on two characters contemplating the end of all things.
Ferrara, a New York staple, is a director for whom the term “cult classic” undoubtedly applies. With titles like THE KING OF NEW YORK, BAD LIEUTENANT, BODY SNATCHERS and THE FUNERAL to his credit, Ferrara has obviously never chosen to tell tales that are ready for mass consumption, nor has he shied away from controversial and provocative themes. An unorthodox telling of how the world ends would only be fitting for Ferrara, and his latest is, in a surprising way, an intensely personal story for him to share. I sat down with the director recently and found out just how thoroughly he let it all hang out with 4:44 LAST DAY ON EARTH.
“Two people in love with each other, it’s the last day on the Earth – now that’s a film.”