Rating: 8.8
Right from the opening frame of “Last Night in Soho”, I knew this was an Edgar Wright movie. It had clever and dynamic cinematography, intricate lighting, a fantastic soundtrack playing and a lively, instantly iconic performance from its lead actor. What I didn’t expect was how different the rest of the movie would be from Wright’s other works. And this isn’t a bad thing at all, instead it made me love the movie even more as Edgar Wright brought his talents to the horror genre and created something so distinctly unique that I can’t stop thinking about it. It’s unlike anything he’s ever done before, but filled with his creative flair and technical prowess. And I loved the journey he took me on! I don’t want to say too much about the story, because it’s best to go in cold and just experience the movie! It’s thrilling, intense, very intriguing and explored some very interesting themes that used the horror aspects well! Wright also perfectly subverts expectations not only in the story (there’s a lot of surprises and twists I did not see coming) but also with the genre and finds a way to almost make this a movie that doesn’t fit into one clear genre. It’s very much it’s own thing, with elements of murder mystery, time travel, psychological thriller, slasher, surreal dream and ghost sequences and a touch of romance. I also loved how a lot of the horrific elements to the film have real-world connections, basically communicating the feeling women have getting undesired attention from men. The film does an excellent job at showing micro-aggressions against women, and did so in such a real way, it’s amazing that Edgar Wright was able to get it so right, and any woman watching this movie would probably be blown away at how scarily real some of the scenes in this movie are, such as the taxi cab scene. I loved that he was able to use horror in such a smart way that it had a social commentary to it while also being really disturbing, frightening and entertaining! It leaves a lot to discuss after the movie! It definitely helped that he brought Krysty Wilson-Cairns on as a co-writer! Wright managed to create such an eerie atmosphere within the film, and used location to his advantage. The community of Soho is pretty much a character in the film, and the streets, pubs, clubs and especially neon lights really worked for the film! The fact they were also able to completely transform it into the 60s was also unbelievable and super detailed! I loved the costuming and hairstyling and makeup too, it was all crucial to the story of the movie and every creative choice regarding these elements really had such a strong impact on the film. The cinematography of course was stunning, as with all of Wright’s work, and I loved a lot of the neon lighting and the dynamic movements, especially in how they would move between Sandy and Eloise in the “vision” sequences. The dance scene in the club early in the film was super impressive, the choreography, camera movement, acting and editing all worked in perfect unison to create a long continuous shot that kept switching out Sandy and Eloise dancing with Jack, and it was mind blowing to watch it play on screen. Many of the shots were impressive like that, there was so much creativity and detail put into them. The editing of course was fantastic too, and again was so creative in how it bounced between shots of the two lead characters and the two time periods, and especially when it all blended. The soundtrack perfectly complemented the film too, it really help set the 60s atmosphere, and I loved how the songs played into the story. But who surprised, Edgar Wright is great at infusing music into his films. The original score by Stephen Price was even great, and offered some unique and haunting mixes of the songs we hear in the soundtrack too! Anya Taylor-Joy’s versions of “Downtown” and “You’re My World” are also perfect! She’s actually such a talented singer, and also gave such a wonderful performance here. I really loved Thomasin McKenzie most, she played a character with so much innocence and naïveté that had to navigate this complex story, and she was perfectly cast! Not only that, but she can really hold her own as the lead of a movie, which is especially impressive when you have all these other talents in the film! Matt Smith, Terrence Stamp and Diana Rigg were also fantastic! And of course, Edgar Wright’s direction style and overall skill as a filmmaker is perfect for this, and he still managed to surprise me with this film! I was really impressed with the stylish, creative and eerily thrilling film I saw! The film really captured the magic feeling of being swept away by something so well, and honestly the film itself swept me away. It’s not my favourite Edgar Wright film, but it’s still a pretty perfect film storywise and stunning in technical execution, I loved it and cannot recommend it enough, it’s a must see! Wright’s signature style mixed with the clever and unique premise proved to make for quite the surreal, thrilling and impressive experience!
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IMDb Rating: 7.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 73%
RT Audience Score: 92%
Metacritic Score: 67
CinemaScore: B+
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Focus Features
Directed by Edgar Wright
Screenplay by Edgar Wright & Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Story by Edgar Wright
Cast: Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Terrence Stamp, Diana Rigg, Michael Ajao, Rita Tushingham
Runtime: 1hr 56min
Rating: 14A
Drama, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
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An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker.
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Fun Fact: The title comes from a song by pop band Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich, "Last Night In Soho" released in 1968.
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