It's indisputable fact that Hollywood and filmmakers from overseas release numerous movies built on original screenplays despite what certain people say otherwise. (Not everything in the 80's was original either). 2021 has treated us to a number of them that should be honored for many years, and some have been built at the hands of some of our finest auteurs. With that being said, Edgar Wright was a no-brainer for this Halloween season, and he stood and delivered with Last Night in Soho.
Countless English directors have crossed over into America, and especially in the last 20+ years. Mr. Wright's seamless contributions to farce with his Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World lended themselves to crossing over into Action with Baby Driver, so Psychological Horror is a natural evolution. When I say Psychological, better believe it. Last Night in Soho contains some supernatural thrills in conjunction with its main genre, but jump scares and gore are not omnipresent. No parlor tricks, no conventional aesthetics; it's an Edgar Wright coaster through and through. Even with the editing of Baby Driver champion Paul Machliss and seamless pace of 116 minutes, Wright's direction also ensures tonal unity.
Rising star Thomasin McKenzie makes for the essential template for Eloise Turner, an aspiring fashion designer who finds her fluctuating reality, in a city that threatens to swallow her, converging with her apartment's shady past and a famed 1960's entertainer. Scream queen and dramatic alum Anya-Taylor Joy is on her way to become one of the defining acts of this generation, and her presence as Sandie proves that further; like her breakthrough in Robert Eggers' The Witch, it borders on being a neo-silent film pastiche. Matt Smith, Diana Rigg and Terrence Stamp are effortlessly chilling; unknown star Michael Ajao summers in his onscreen chemistry as a classmate and love interest of Eloise.
Having a female perspective on the writing in Krysty Wilson-Cairns is a major service to Wright, given the subject matter and entering a new genre. While Wright's style doesn't always translate to proper terror, the mystery at the core of the plot earns its fruits. It's one that thematically lends itself to the 1960's as much as it's relevant today. That's part of what makes Last Night in Soho more than just another struggling artist story, more than potential box-office fodder (ie. Halloween Kills). It's a daring and sincere leap forward for one of our most favored pulp directors in recent history.
RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars.
Countless English directors have crossed over into America, and especially in the last 20+ years. Mr. Wright's seamless contributions to farce with his Cornetto Trilogy and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World lended themselves to crossing over into Action with Baby Driver, so Psychological Horror is a natural evolution. When I say Psychological, better believe it. Last Night in Soho contains some supernatural thrills in conjunction with its main genre, but jump scares and gore are not omnipresent. No parlor tricks, no conventional aesthetics; it's an Edgar Wright coaster through and through. Even with the editing of Baby Driver champion Paul Machliss and seamless pace of 116 minutes, Wright's direction also ensures tonal unity.
Rising star Thomasin McKenzie makes for the essential template for Eloise Turner, an aspiring fashion designer who finds her fluctuating reality, in a city that threatens to swallow her, converging with her apartment's shady past and a famed 1960's entertainer. Scream queen and dramatic alum Anya-Taylor Joy is on her way to become one of the defining acts of this generation, and her presence as Sandie proves that further; like her breakthrough in Robert Eggers' The Witch, it borders on being a neo-silent film pastiche. Matt Smith, Diana Rigg and Terrence Stamp are effortlessly chilling; unknown star Michael Ajao summers in his onscreen chemistry as a classmate and love interest of Eloise.
Having a female perspective on the writing in Krysty Wilson-Cairns is a major service to Wright, given the subject matter and entering a new genre. While Wright's style doesn't always translate to proper terror, the mystery at the core of the plot earns its fruits. It's one that thematically lends itself to the 1960's as much as it's relevant today. That's part of what makes Last Night in Soho more than just another struggling artist story, more than potential box-office fodder (ie. Halloween Kills). It's a daring and sincere leap forward for one of our most favored pulp directors in recent history.
RATING: 3.5 out of 4 stars.