‘The Last Stop In Yuma County’ Review – A Gripping Heist Gone Wrong [Fantastic Fest 2023]

One of the more considerable delights to come out of the 2023 Fantastic Fest pits a couple of dangerous bank robbers on the run against a host of weary travelers all forced to wait it out in the local diner as a fuel truck is allegedly headed to fill up the tanks at the gas station next door. The Last Stop in Yuma County, directed by Francis Galluppi, is a stunning, intense Western-style film set in rural Yuma County, Arizona in the late 20th century. Galluppi’s feature debut boasts an ensemble cast including Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Nicholas Logan, Richard Brake, and Connor Paolo of Gossip Girl fame. These and several other actors all get their moments to shine throughout the narrative.

The story starts off slow as Jim Cummings’ traveling knife salesman is the first of many to be stranded in this rural diner awaiting the fuel truck, but it doesn’t take long to ramp up the tension. You can hear over the radio before the salesman goes into the diner that a bank robbery recently took place with two men on the run with the money. Soon after this, two men show up to the diner and the salesman and waitress, Charlotte (Donahue), quickly recognize their car from the radio descriptions. As more people start coming in to wait for the truck, you can feel your breathing get quicker and your chest gets tighter alongside the innocent characters that are trying to find a way out of this mess alive. 

The standout performances coming out of Yuma County are most assuredly Jim Cummings as the knife salesman and Richard Brake as the elder bank robber, Beau. Cummings, like many a salesman, is clean-cut in this film and has that kind of ruthless confidence that drives him. At first, this confidence is thrown off by the presence of the bank robbers, but his instincts kick in later in the film. Once he flips that switch, it’s like a whole new actor has come in to play the role. Brake’s turn as Beau is one of the most unnerving performances in recent memory. Every time he speaks his deep, commanding voice makes every hair on your body stand straight up. He acts as an astute counterpart to Nicolas Logan’s Travis, the younger bank robber. Travis is inexperienced and reckless whereas Beau is meticulous and can predict what might happen in any situation. 

It takes more than just a good script to build tension in a film like this. Galluppi’s direction paired with Mac Fisken’s cinematography greatly contributes to this all throughout the movie. There are several long shots that repeatedly capture the audience’s attention and keep it as we follow characters through different parts of the small corner that contains the diner and gas station. The camera focuses on facial expressions that allow the viewer to see the gears turning in someone’s head as decisions are made in real-time. The film is fast-paced, coming in at an even 90 minutes, yet still manages to take its time at points to reflect on what’s just happened in the action. 

On its face, The Last Stop in Yuma County is an action-packed, fervent film with influences from the Western genre. As you look deeper, it also has much to say about greed and what it does to seemingly average, good people. As more of the diner’s patrons discover the presence of a large stack of cash on the premises, they start acting not out of their typical character, but out of a desperate longing to get that money for themselves. Money turns even the best of us into people that we would be unlikely to recognize. This film is at minimum an extremely fun ensemble piece that is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat, but also gives the audience the chance to look in the mirror and ask what they might do in a situation such as this.

The Last Stop In Yuma County had its World Premiere in the Official Selection section of Fantastic Fest 2023.

Director: Francis Galluppi

Writer: Francis Galluppi

Rated: NR

Runtime: 90m