Rating of
3/4
A Last Night to Remember
Chris Kavan - wrote on 11/10/21
While billed as a horror film, Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho is more of a mystery with horror elements, set to a perfect soundtrack with a stylish, visual flair that keeps you entranced the entire time.
Our time-hopping adventure begins with Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) a would-be fashion designer with obsessed with 60s London and a knack for the supernatural. Early on we see a mysterious woman in her mirror - which turns out to be her long-dead mother - and it seems she's attuned to the spirit world. She receives a letter telling her she has been admitted to a prestigious design school in London. Her Gram Peggy (Rita Tushingham) is both delighted and a bit worried, but sees the young girl off. The country mouse, however, has trouble fitting in with the girls around her, including roommate Jocasta (Synnove Karlsen) and only seems to connect with a boy named John (Michael Ajao). After a late night party nearly causes her to miss the first day of classes, she decides to leave dorm life behind and rent her own apartment. This leads her to Ms Collins (Diana Rigg - in her final film role), who rents her a room with a few rules - no boys, no smoking, no loud music - which she happily accepts.
On her first night in the new room she falls asleep - only to find herself waking up in the body of another young woman, Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) in 60s London itself. Sandie is vibrant and has plenty of sex appeal and is looking to make her mark on the stage - bringing her to attention of Jack (Matt Smith), a man who can apparently get things done. After saving her from a run-in with a drunken patron, the two form a quick bond, with Jack promising her a gig.
Back in the real world, Eloise finds herself inspired by Sandie - both in her designs and her look. In order to afford some things, she takes a job at a local pub, where she gets some creepy vibes from a regular, older customer (Terence Stamp) while getting tips from the long-time barmaid (Margaret Nolan - also her final film role). While at first entranced by the life of Sandie - as the nights go on, it turns out her life of glitz and fame are a veneer hiding the darker underbelly of drugs, abuse and prostitution. Jack goes from a kind supporter to an evil pimp and soon the faceless men in Sandie's life start to bleed into Eloise's world - culminating in nearly stabbing a fellow student. During Halloween, she nearly hooks up with John but has one final vision of Sandie and Jack - and vows to find out what happened once and for all - before she completely loses track of reality.
Last Night in Soho benefits from strong roles - both in the young and old characters. If actresses like McKenzie and Taylor-Joy are the future of Hollywood - we're in good hands, as both play their respective parts to perfections. Likewise, Wright does right by casting the likes of Rigg, Stamp, Tushingham and Nolan in smaller but pivotal roles - all actors who were big in the 60s. I especially like the casting of Rigg (who was so fantastic in her Game of Thrones role) - who can still command a scene with just a few lines.
If the actors are well-chosen they are elevated even more by the soundtrack and the visuals. It's amazing how we get from modern-day to 60s-era London night after night - and it never fails to impress. And, just like Baby Driver, Wright proves he can put together a killer play list featuring everything from "A World Without Love" to "Land Of 1000 Dances" to "Last Night in Soho" - and Taylor-Joy proves she has a voice to match her acting talent with a moving cover of "Downtown". All in all, I can't think of another movie this year that has a better soundtrack than this film.
Wright takes a page out of the M. Night Shyamalan playbook by throwing in a late-game twist that is probably not too hard to see coming, but was still a welcome addition to your standard whodoneit. While the second half of the film isn't as strong as the opening, Wright still manages to keep you interested throughout and even the ending has you wondering just who comes out on top. All in all, if you're looking for a fun thriller with a lot of style and 60s flair - don't pass this one up.
