Directed by the renowned Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead, Baby Driver, many others) and released in 2021, Last Night in Soho is a psychological horror film. Following her dream of becoming a fashion designer, Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) moves to London to begin her studies at the London College of Fashion. However, at night she finds herself reliving the life of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring nightclub singer in London’s 1960s, who begins to work for the charming nightclub owner, Jack (Matt Smith). As the dreams get darker, and Sandie’s life takes a terrifying turn, Ellie must try to solve the story of what happened to Sandie.
+ both lead actresses, Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy, are fantastic; I’ve made it no secret that I think Anya Taylor-Joy is one of the best actresses around right now, and this was true once again here. McKenzie was the lesser known of the two for me, but I am familiar enough to say that this was another very strong showing for her. Matt Smith was also very fun as the ultra-charming, too-good-to-be-true Jack
+ I enjoyed the plot. Everything from the bitchy student cliques, to the ghosts and time travel (sort of?) stuff really worked for me, because I am such a fan of both McKenzie and Taylor-Joy. There isn’t a huge amount to say about the plot other than it is good. There are some twist and turns, sure, but it’s relatively straight forward
+ the film is certainly a psychological horror film, but the focus is much more on the ‘psychological’ section, at least for the most part. There are some good spooks now and then, but it initially comes across more as a mystery film than a horror/thriller
– I admit that the movies doesn’t really end the way it should. I don’t necessarily mean that in the sense of the way I thought it would, or the way I wanted it to. But based on the story told, some of the parables do fall a bit flat. It’s another of those movies that sort of makes less sense the deeper you analyse it
> I can’t help but notice just how similar this movie was to the plot of Dream Theater’s concept album, “Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory“, which also involves one person reliving the life of a murdered young woman, and attempted to find out what happened in their modern life
Should you see this film: This was a film from a director I enjoy with a cast I loved. But while I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, I have not recommended it to anybody in real life since I watched it a few weeks ago. I guess that if, like me, you have the time and a fondness for the director or the cast you can’t go wrong – but it’s hardly a must-see.
MoshFish Reviews 