Featured, Movie Reviews

‘Last Night in Soho’ Review – A Neon-Tinged 60s Hellscape with Great Music

Synopsis:

In acclaimed director Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller, Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker

Don’t let anyone discourage you from being yourself. Unless you’re a complete monster of a human being, it’s perfectly fine to just be you. We don’t always have to fit in, and if you’re an independent thinker, probably won’t always fit in anyway. Those who tend to outcast others because they’re “weird” or “odd” are really just afraid to be their authentic self. They feel threatened that you are completely comfortable in your own skin and embrace your otherness. Being yourself in a world where we chase likes and reposts, has people following trends more than ever in order to get noticed. But if everyone is doing the same thing with no nuance, your chances of being noticed are tremendously slim. When you fake a personality or way of living, the facade eventually gets exposed and everything comes crumbling down. There was no way you could maintain subterfuge long term. Being yourself is the best thing you can do because it’s real. And as my homie, Justin always says, real shit lasts.

“They’re not just dreams.”

All that glitters is not gold, sometimes it’s red, blood red. In Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller Last Night in Soho, the past and the present converge in an exciting and unexpected fashion. What begins as an uplifting story about a young woman from the country chasing her dreams in the big city, overcoming obstacles, and forging her own path, sneakily transforms into a neon-tinged 60s hellscape with great music. Filled with songs of yesteryear and retro fashion that speak to today, Last Night in Soho is highly entertaining, very captivating, and not as predictable as you might think. The film delves into both our minds and a heralded time period with dark secrets. We’ve all at some point become infatuated with an era from the past. It could’ve been because of the music, the aesthetic, attire, the people, the simplicity, or a combination of a few or all. However, history tends to paint a more picturesque portrait of its happenings and wrongdoings, attempting to whiteout much of its pain and suffering. Subsequently, what do you do when finding out that everything you once revered is all a lie? What happens if you’re somehow able to be transported to that time you adore, only to realize that the pink hue of the rose-colored glasses is a mixture of blood, tears, and unwanted fluids?

The film does a fantastic job of blending, bending, and blurring two separate timelines together in a thrilling way. It mixes dream and reality in a frantic feverish way that is both pulse-pounding and fear-inducing. Some of its darker subject matter, unfortunately, is still relevant today and disproportionately affects women while the rest of its themes are pretty universal. The cast is amazing, Matt Smith makes a terrific villain and he may not be the only one. While the fantastic Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy battle for queen of the screen, I’m hoping that Michael Ajao (the black guy in a horror film) doesn’t die. The film tells a gripping and trance-like story. The editing is perfect, the music is transportive, and Wright’s direction is great. However, the ending felt a bit formulaic and there’s a conflict subplot that is never fully allowed to unfold. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed this film and the twists that lie within it. Its rewatchability is high.

Thomasin McKenzie stars as Eloise in Edgar Wright’s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, a Focus Features release. Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2021 Focus Features, LLC

Thomasin McKenzie stars as Eloise and Michael Ajao as John in Edgar Wright’s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, a Focus Features release.
Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2021 Focus Features, LLC

Pacing & Pop

What popped for me was the film’s turn. The film does a great job in the first act making you forget that it’s a psychological thriller. It feels like a simple fish out of water story with a slight twist. The film keeps a great pace throughout the entire runtime. It gets to the meat of the story rather quickly and straps you in for the eerie ride.

Thomasin McKenzie stars as Eloise and Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandie in Edgar Wright’s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features / © 2021 Focus Features, LLC

Matt Smith stars as Jack in Edgar Wright’s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, a Focus Features release. Credit: Parisa Taghizadeh / © 2021 Focus Features, LLC

Characters & Chemistry

Starring: Thomasin McKenzie (Leave No Trace, Jojo Rabbit), Anya Taylor-Joy (Emma, The Queen’s Gambit), Matt Smith (Doctor Who, The Crown), Rita Tushingham (A Taste Of Honey, Doctor Zhivago), Diana Rigg (The Avengers, Game Of Thrones, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) and Terence Stamp (The Collector, The Limey, Superman II).

I love good healthy competition. While there may not have actually been one, Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy definitely put on an acting exhibition. As their two characters intertwine you begin to wonder who the film is really about and who is the star. Both captivating in their own way, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is a quiet creative with big dreams whose ambitions led her to London. Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) on the other hand is a brash, take-charge kind of woman that knows what she wants and will take it if the opportunity arrives. Matt Smith as Jack is a great villain. He’s smooth, charming, and you never see it coming. His performance is very intense. John (Michael Ajao) is the nicest person in the film and you just hope that nothing bad happens to him. However, there is a lingering feeling that he could turn out to be just as diabolical as Jack because he’s almost too nice.

Last Night in Soho releases in theaters on October 29, 2021. Stay spooky and enjoy.