Tom Hanks' 2021 Sci-Fi Movie Is A Must-Watch For Apple TV Users

Despite loving a certain sci-fi classic, the genre is not one Tom Hanks has worked in very often. But he has indeed made a few sci-fi films throughout his impressive career, such as "Cloud Atlas" and "Asteroid City." In 2021, he starred in the Apple TV+ original "Finch." Hanks plays the titular character, who is one of the last remaining humans in a post apocalyptic future, where he trains a robot named Jeff (Caleb Landry Jones) to care for his dog after he dies.

"Finch" was one of several of Hanks's movies — the others being "Pinocchio" and "Greyhound" — that were delayed due to the coronavirus epidemic, and whose original plans for theatrical releases instead shifted to streaming. Critics found it to be a fairly by the numbers post apocalypse tale, but said that Hanks's charm elevated the material and made "Finch" worth watching. The impressive tech that brought Jeff to life also won a Visual Effects Society Award for outstanding animated character in a photoreal feature. 

Given that Hanks spends the whole of "Finch" never interacting with another human being, many instantly drew comparisons to "Cast Away," which became a frequent topic of conversation with the actor while doing press for "Finch." Though Hanks is incredibly proud of "Cast Away" — calling it one of his best films – he dismissed any perceived connection between the two movies.

Discussing the topic with SyFy, Hanks said that the crucial difference is that his characters in each movie are in very different places. While "Cast Away's" Chuck Noland knows that there is a world full of people to get back to, Finch faces a far less optimistic reality. "I think there's just a different philosophical bent on trying to discover what is out, as opposed to trying to get back to a thing that you know is there," he explained. 

Meanwhile, in a press round table for "Finch" (via Collider), Hanks further contrasted Finch and Chuck Noland's experiences, stating, "['Cast Away'] is about the best thing that ever happened to this man. He was in a plane crash and lived on an island for four years, and from that came this life that he never would have imagined that he'd have. That's not the theme of 'Finch.' Nothing great happened to Finch. His time is limited."