Hours

During the chaos of Hurricane Katrina, Nolan Hayes fights to keep his newborn daughter alive after their hospital is overwhelmed by floodwaters and power outages. Trapped inside a hospital on the brink, he wrestles with dwindling oxygen, broken elevators, and a maze of corridors as he searches for a way to stabilize his child. With their life support failing and time slipping away, Nolan pushes past fear and fatigue, improvising with makeshift supplies and risky decisions, all while the outside world spirals into disorder. The result is a tight, claustrophobic thriller anchored by a father's desperate devotion. With time running out he pleads with exhausted staff and a nurse named Shelly to keep the infant stable, scavenging for oxygen tanks and a functioning incubator amid rising floodwater.

Directed by Eric Heisserer from an original screenplay, Hours arrived in 2013 as a lean, character driven thriller that leans on performance and tension rather than big set pieces. The production kept a tight schedule and budget, emphasizing practical effects and a believable hospital environment that heightens the sense of realism.

The film posted a modest box office with a limited release, reflecting its compact budget of four million and a focused, theatrical run rather than a wide studio push.

Hours has a modest cultural footprint, mainly thanks to Paul Walker's restrained central performance and the film's stark hospital setting. It sparked discussion about resilience in disaster scenarios and the ethics of improvised care under duress.

Critics generally applauded the taut pacing and Paul Walker's grounded portrayal, noting the film treats fear and fatherhood with restraint rather than melodrama. The core themes center on parental devotion, ingenuity under pressure, and the moral weight of making life saving choices. The film invites viewers to consider what really counts in a crisis.