By Luca Newton
I finally had the chance to see Last Night in Soho in cinemas after almost a month after initial release, and after having seen it, I definitely know where it stands among Edgar Wright's other work..
There are very few filmmakers that have the consistency as Edgar Wright. While he has only made 6 films including Last Night in Soho, there's a level of consistency between them which is only rivalled by David Fincher for me - Baby Driver being one of my favourite movies of all time, and the rest of his films being at least 9/10. I hear that Edgar Wright has a brand new movie starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin Mackenzie which is a psychological horror set around a girl having dreams from the 60s that seam into real life, I was interested. The trailers looked phenomenal and had a certain aesthetic to them that had me thrilled to see it. Unfortunately, I had to wait a little while until I could see it, but I finally did yesterday.
Does it live up to Edgar Wright's insanely high standards, or does it fall flat?
Honestly? It lands somewhere in the middle. Last Night in Soho was kind of a disappointment for me, unfortunately..
This post will include major spoilers for Last Night in Soho!
Before going into specifics, let me start this off by saying I actually really enjoyed the film. I thought it had several scenes that were truly incredible and stuck with me. The entire first half was actually very good, most of my issues are with that second half. Overall I'd call the film a decent movie. I think the main issue for me is that Edgar Wright doesn't just make "decent" movies; he makes masterpieces. All 5 of his prior films to Last Night in Soho were at the very least 9s for me, and then seeing how mixed of a bag this new one is really upsets me.
As aforementioned, Last Night in Soho follows the young woman Eloise, who loves fashion, and specifically 60s culture, goes to Soho, London in order to fulfil her dreams of fashion through University. After arriving at her dorms, she starts to get annoyed by her roommate, and chooses to move into a house with an old lady, Ms. Collins. However, on her first night sleeping her new room, Eloise transports herself into a dream where she lives through another girl in the 60s, Sandy. Eloise experiences Sandy's experience trying to become a performer, but over time becoming a hooker. This all takes place over several nights of dreams, and the more she dreams, the more it involves her life, as dead men start to haunt her and she sees visions in real life. It culminates in a vision of Sandy seemingly being murdered by her agent, Jack, which spooks her the most as she is in her bed with a guy. After this point, she breaks the mirror between reality and her dreams and they ramp up in her real life, and make her go crazy. Eloise chooses to investigate about a dead Sandy, who she believes Jack is still alive and walking free as an old man that seems to stalk Eloise.
I might as well start with the positives before going into what I didn't like..
I have my gripes, but Last Night in Soho is a very quality film overall. I was never bored, it is a consistently entertaining film that flows together as well as any other Edgar Wright. Additionally, Edgar Wright really brings a stunning film to look at. The overall aesthetics are absolutely spectacular; especially in the night. The repeated mirror imagery and the shattering of them really helped that, but the pure visuals of the nights on the streets of London with car lights, signs and the like. I was living for it.
Thomasin Mackenzie was a highlight for me in the film. Anya Taylor-Joy was here, and I was fully expecting her to steal the spotlight, but she really didn't - Thomasin Mackenzie delivered a phenomenal performance in multiple aspects. She was quite relatable and likeable, but when she starts to have these dreams, and the horrors sneak in her real life, she goes full on classic horror screams, you could very much believe she was petrified and obsessed. I already loved her for her role in Jojo Rabbit and I'm glad she was as great as she was here, I hope it helps her trajectory as an upcoming actress. Matt Smith was also great, and really sold this sleazy and manipulative man quite well, for the limited role he has. Anya Taylor-Joy was, of course, radiant here. The presence she had was absolutely a standout, she knew her role in the movie and delivered it without taking the movie from the main character. What I loved most about her performance is that she was at her sexiest here - which is kind of weird to say. What I mean is her character is supposed to be this girl who wants to be a performer but is sort of forced into being a hooker. She also played a very vulnerable role very well too. That's all I'll say for Sandy as a character though.
I thought it was very good how they honoured Diana Rigg in a sweet way. This film was her last ever film, and when I learned that I was shocked and surprised, but this film feels almost like an ode to her in many ways, it really does feel like it's Diana's film.
Finally, the first half of this film was actually pretty great in my opinion. Most of my issues with the film truly lay within that second half, which is why I think the film is still decent overall. But that first half was building flawlessly up this psychological horror. As I said, Eloise is well established and there's a point in the film where the film has a specific flow which I was absolutely vibing with, between Eloise dreaming and waking up. Particularly, that first dream scene is something of wonders. The vivid yet frightening streets of Soho in the dead of night, filled with multiple colours. The Thunderball poster shot is breathtaking as it tells you exactly when you are. You are left to take in the wonder of this time and they never tell you directly, it's incredible. It's truly a mastery of visual storytelling. Later, when Eloise views Sandy in the mirror, and mirrors her actions, there's this uncanny feeling. That dream affects her work in real life as she starts to become closer and closer to what she views Sandy as. There's another scene where Sandy dances with Jack, and there is a fully practical dance where Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin Mackenzie actually switch around Matt Smith with clever camera work.. It's dazzling work, outstanding direction, it's visually dynamic. I just absolutely loved that scene. The first half was mainly that for me.
However..
In my opinion, Last Night in Soho really goes off the rails in the second half. It loses its magic. The midpoint twist is where Eloise witnesses what she assumes to be Sandy's murder at the hands of Jack. After this point, it becomes Eloise trying to find Sandy's files to report her as dead, since she knows Jack did it, and there's an old man who keeps following Eloise who she, and honestly we do as an audience, assumes is Jack. I don't mind a mystery plot, however I believe this turn in the plot really shouldn't have happened. I think the film was building towards as a genuinely scary psychological horror film, with some mind-bending visuals and terrors. It just... never does that. The first half builds towards it really well, introducing these elements of horror with these faceless ghosts, and we do actually see Eloise breaking the mirror between her and her dream, which would make you think it would go crazier, but it's basically the same after that.
My issue is that in the first half there are faceless ghosts and in the second half, there are also faceless ghosts. The scares of the movie aren't in the least scary or horrifying, they're boring because we already know them. I had absolutely no tension for anything about that first half because I knew what was coming and it never really surmounted to anything. I felt like the mirror between dreams and reality could've lead to some genuine scares and some weird but awesome moments, and so I'm disappointed it ultimately was only explored by visions occasionally. I know expectations shouldn't make the movie worse, but I felt by going with the mystery route it never became a psychological horror for me, it relies on some jump scares and that's it.
Furthermore, the message of Last Night in Soho is straight-up bad. Like I don't understand why they thought it would be a good idea. Essentially, the plot twist of the movie is that Sandy was never murdered, and she was actually Ms. Collins who Eloise was living with, she actually murdered Jack and tons of guys. Sandy was a victim for the whole film, but at the end she is portrayed as an awful irredeemable villain who murders men for fun. Why does she do that? Because... men bad? It has no depth or reason, she was sick of being a hooker she just chose to be a serial killer and kill men. It's a very harmful message and quite distasteful; I don't know what they were trying to accomplish but for me it completely ruined Sandy's character entirely. From a sympathetic character who dreamed bigger than she could in the 60s, to this one-dimensional monster. It's truly disappointing how it turned out.
Honestly, this twist could've worked with a better script and plot. If they chose to write Sandy in a way that she was still sympathetic, remove her killing random men. Because her killing Jack makes sense with how she was clearly doing it out of self defence. I know that people can become serial killer from one accidental kill, but for what the message that was trying to be portrayed here, I think it was a really stupid decision. They really just wanted to make Sandy the villain, forgetting that the film was building her up as this tragic and sad failed performer and victim due to the societal issues of the times and just thought "oh wait we need a final act twist".
I mean, holy crap the ending just failed miserably. It was a schlock-fest. I am a fan of the MCU, and yet this hit me as more of a schlock-fest than those movies. In a ridiculous turn you have Diana Rigg running up stairs, and then switching in and out of Diana and Anya Taylor-Joy, and nothing happens besides nice visuals, the house is accidentally on fire for stakes purposes. Eloise then sympathises with Sandy and tells her she understands what she did and that she wants to save her.. but she's been set up as completely irredeemable beforehand because of her being a literal serial killer, and now you want me to be sympathetic of her? It doesn't make sense and it's a terribly written ending for a movie that I felt had so much potential.
Last Night in Soho has some Edgar Wright's highest highs, and yet his lowest lows. Sure, it looks stunning, the first half is pretty damn great and Thomasin Mackenzie truly shone and was never outshone, which is a great thing, but blunders in its second half where an absolutely atrocious message is brought across in a completely distateful way combined with an underwhelming and not very scary psychological horror payoff that could've ultimately been much more.. It is ultimately a big disappointment..
Thanks for reading.
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