Last Night in Soho (2021)
“If I could live any place and any time, I’d live here, in London. In the 60s.” - Ellie.
Last Night in Soho (2021)
Directed by: Edgar Wright
Written by: Edgar Wright (story), Krysty Wilson-Cairns (screenplay)
Starring: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg
Going to an Edgar Wright movie is like a refreshing punch in the mouth. Remember those 5 Gum ads? It’s like that. With frenetic pacing, a distinctive visual style, and textbook British humour, Wright is one of the few ‘big Hollywood directors’ whose films don’t feel too Hollywood. And that’s mainly because he’s willing to take risks and keep evolving as a filmmaker, conquering a genre and then moving on. He’s made sitcoms, witty satirical comedies, action movies, a documentary, and now…a psychological horror, Last Night in Soho.
The film follows aspiring fashion designer Ellie (McKenzie) as she moves from a small country town to London in pursuit of her dreams. Haunted by the loss of her mother and struggling to fit in, Ellie soon realises she can travel back to the 1960s in her dreams, as she embodies aspiring singer Sandie (Taylor-Joy). However, as her dreams and reality begin to merge, Ellie realises that some things are better left in the past.
Expanding on the loquacious preamble above, Wright’s appetite for risk is what makes his films so unique. You get to watch something different, with a story and look you’ve never seen before. And to me, this originality is incredibly refreshing in an industry drowning in franchises. For the most part, Last Night in Soho meets these criteria – the plot is original, unpredictable, and the lack of a familiar narrative structure leaves you feeling a bit lost for the first hour. This means you’re learning along with Ellie, exploring the various rules and limitations of the dream world she enters. The world itself is also a visual feast, with Wright employing a sneaky combination of CGI, gorgeous sets, makeup, and exhaustive choreography to film the dream sequences that switch seamlessly between Ellie and Sandie.
As an unabashed Anyaphile, I came into the film expecting Taylor-Joy to steal the show. And whilst she’s good, this movie belongs to Thomasin McKenzie. The young kiwi is quickly becoming a star, and she embodies the likeable yet unhinged Ellie perfectly. Her performance helps sell what is a genuinely spooky flip from ‘cute coming-of-age teen drama’ to ‘terrifying psychological horror’ between the first and second acts. This section of the movie was incredible and felt like a proper ‘theatre experience’ (aside: this was only the second movie I’ve seen at the cinema in about 6 months because of COVID restrictions, and I was smiling my head off during this middle stretch - go watch it in theatres, it’s a hoot).
However, unfortunately the third act didn’t quite land, and for the first time in his career you could tell that Wright hadn’t quite mastered a new genre. Like I said before, this is his first true horror film, and while I know he’s a student of horror (hence Shaun of the Dead), there was a particular baddie that was excessively overused. To the point that they stopped being scary, and started sapping the narrative progression.
In the grand scheme of things, this is a minor detractor from what is a unique, fun, and entertaining film. Originality is something that should be championed more in cinema, so it’s sad to see something like this floundering at the box office. I’m still riding that theatre high, so take this with a grain of salt, but it’s pretty bloody good. Highly recommend.
Rating: 8/10