“The Philosophers” is provocative and interesting, so while it may be far from perfect, it’s not a movie I could easily dismiss. Writer/director John Huddles opens on a intriguing note, heads in unexpected directions, and ruins the fun in the final act. No worries. Until then, the film has many surprises in store. James D’arcy plays Eric Zimit, a philosophy professor in a Jakartan international school who is teaching the final class of the year. As a farewell session, he challenges his students to a final thought-provoking experiment: faced with an impending nuclear apocalypse, they must choose which ten of them would take shelter underground and save the human race. It’s a tough assignment and director John Huddles builds up tension as the story progresses. Then in the final act, Huddles’ screenplay reveals some of its inherent weaknesses. Not to mention the unsatisfying conclusion. Too bad. But whatever its flaws, there aren’t many movies that deal with the idea of an apocalypse in an entertaining way, as this one does.

Rating: 2.5/4