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CINEMA
PROPERTY OF FOCUS FEATURES
Movie Review
CASUAL
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Published: 11.02.21
MPAA: R
Genre: Horror. Drama. Mystery.
"I found Last Night in Soho absolutely brilliant."
RELEASE: 10.29.21
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LAST NIGHT IN SOHO (2021)
OPENING THOUGHTS:
After months of great anticipation, I finally got to sit down in a fancy movie theater, cocktail in hand and delve into Edgar Wright’s latest brainchild. I’m excited to say that I found Last Night in Soho absolutely brilliant.
DIRECTION:
Edgar Wright is always a man with a plan and his execution is always thrilling to see. It’s apparent that from pre-production to post: this film was well thought out. I loved the overall path the story takes, from the moment that the door opens to our main character Ellie, to the moment that same door closes on her alter-ego. I forgot halfway through that this was supposed to have horror elements, until it hit me in the face. But not to the point it felt like a tonal shift. I would say it’s a wonderful concoction of scary, thrilling, and retro fun. For something that feels quite new and refreshing, it still totally fits within Edgar Wright’s wheelhouse.
PLOT:
Ellie is a college freshman studying fashion design in London. Being the first time living away from home in the country, she has a hard time fitting in. She takes residence in an older house with an older woman, Ms. Collins. She loves having her own space, however, from the first night she starts experiencing very specific life-like visions that start to affect her real life. As the dreams start revealing details of the people she imagines, she soon realizes her dreams are memories and is engulfed in a horrifying mystery she has to solve before she inevitably loses her mind.
The plot stays its course. There are some things I wish were tied up a little better, but overall the film does what it sets out to do, but staying pretty surface level on a few of the themes. I had a really fun time sitting right alongside Ellie, unraveling everything as we went.
ACTING | CHARACTERS | DIALOGUE:
The cast was so strong and solid. Thomasin McKenzie absolutely killed this role and I really hope she does more horrors after this. Anya Taylor Joy is one of my favorite actresses right now and she complimented Thomasin so well. I love how this movie lets them both shine equally bright and not let one take the spotlight over the other.
VISUAL EFFECTS | MAKEUP | DESIGN:
This movie was designed to be visually intriguing starting with the early promotions. Neon lights, vintage aesthetics, and dazzling characters reel you in just by looking at the posters. So many great lighting cues and style choices really bring out the film’s identity, along with the gorgeous set design and costumes. This film does a great job recreating a 1960s London through the rose colored glasses of Ellie’s fascination with the time period, which eventually leads to learning the truth.
MUSIC | SCORE | SOUND DESIGN:
From the notable soundtracks of the 60s to the horror movie callbacks in the score, this film did not miss a beat. And in a world post-Baby Driver, that’s honestly to be expected. I think my favorite part of the whole movie was when Sandy is singing a very famous song that I will not spoil and the score crawls in behind her singing, but it’s not really the song, but an original piece of score in support. It was a really nice touch.
CLOSING THOUGHTS:
I commend Wright for going balls to the wall with this one. For what might seem like a simple thriller, Last Night In Soho offers up a lot of interpretations to chew on. The horror hit where it needed to and the psychological aspects have stuck with me days later. This film has given me much to think about in terms of it’s themes of women’s safety and the reality of growing up and coming to terms with just how unsafe the world is.
Last Night In Soho is in Cinemas Now!
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CONCLUSIVE VERDICT:
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Thanks For Reading
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