‘The Last Movie Ever Made’ Review – A Charming And Heartfelt Look At Filmmaking And The End Of The World

So often in life, we pass through day-to-day without much care or thought about those little moments. And those little moments include sharing a meal, going to the park, or bonding with family and friends. It is those moments that make life beautiful and worth meaning. The Last Movie Ever Made tackles those ideas about life’s little moments. As a group of friends confront the coming end of the world, they attempt to make a movie together. Through their filmmaking, they rediscover the true meaning of life. In a charming film, wonderfully whacky at points, and poignant when it needs to be, The Last Movie Ever Made is a hilarious and fun movie that is less about making a movie and more about making memories to last forever.

The initial impression of the film is that it is about a rag-tag band of former high school friends coming together to make a movie. Add in the seemingly awkward hijinks of the world ending, and the film, by its title, suggests a whimsical look at filmmaking in the most basic sense. However, this movie is more than a story about making a movie. The film finds a perfect balance between absurdity and sincerity. There is genuine humor and a few laugh-out-loud moments. However, the film’s greatest strength is in its characters and more significant story. While the subject matter of the world ending is treated as whacky, one cannot help but feel all the feels with this one. By the end, there is a warm sensation of profound joy. 

At the start, we meet Marshall (Adam Rini), a man pushing forty without direction. Feeling he has nothing to show for his life, everything is turned on its head when an announcement echoes across the world that life as they know it is ending in thirty days. This is not some forthcoming apocalyptic paradigm; the film cleverly approaches the end-of-days storyline. It is revealed that all life on Earth is a simulation. In addition to that bomb of news, the simulation and universe will end in thirty days.

The film is sassy in the best way when it handles this seemingly apocalyptic subject matter. The announcement comes ironically enough on April 1st. The premise is matter-of-fact, and the story wastes no time dramatizing such a revelation’s adverse effects. The movie is wonderfully surreal, and instead, it prioritizes its time on Marshall, who decides to use his remaining days by finishing a sci-fi movie he started in high school. Here, the movie ventures into filmmaking with brilliant nods to the classic 40s serials. The movie-within-the-movie, Blast Samson Saves The Universe, is a hilarious and thoughtful hat-tip to such a classic as Flash Gordon.

Writer/Director Nathan Blackwell is a pro at cinematic language. The scenes in which Marshall and his friends make their movies are dripping with homages to films of the 30s and 40s. Blackwell establishes a clear tone that is one-half satirical and one-half heartfelt. However, he wisely focuses much of the film’s tension not on the movie-making storyline but on the characters themselves. 

In addition to Marshall, a colorful band of characters round out the movie and give it both weight and humor. Megan Hughes Rini plays Audrey, Marshall’s ex-wife, and a perfect contrast to his selfish and withdrawn personality. There is Marshall’s high school pal Arthur (Craig Curtis), who has many of the film’s funny lines and observations. In a small part, even Marshall’s mother Valerie (Jodie L. Weiss) adds a colorful dynamism to the story. Her character intends to celebrate every major holiday before the clock runs out on the universe. 

While Marshall and Audrey are the film’s central focus, the other actors’ quirky and intelligent performances enhance the entire piece’s strength. At the center of Marshall and Audrey’s story is the unresolved tension over their divorce and the ten years that have passed. The script cleverly lets their story play out through small snippets of dialogue and brief interactions. Marshall undergoes a terrific arc of self-discovery and penance, and the film adeptly uses his movie-making quest as the key to his transformation. 

The Last Movie Ever Made offers a refreshing take on the end-of-the-world storyline. For a film that predicates itself on a group of friends finishing a movie, it has much more to say than a simple ode to filmmaking. There is a scene near the end of the film where two characters enjoy each other’s company while watching a child laugh and play on a swing after the filmmaking is finished. There is no dialogue but honest reactions to life and those little moments. Powerful and life-affirming, The Last Movie Ever Made is a beautiful celebration of art and life. 

The Last Movie Ever Made is currently available on Amazon and AppleTV courtesy of Good Deed Entertainment.