Last Night In Soho (2021) - A freaky look at the swinging sixties

Another film that suffered at the hands of Covid-19 has finally made it to cinemas across the country. And following the extensive success of his previous films, it looks as if Edgar Wright's latest cinematic offering is onto a winner. But with a drastic turn into the horror genre, will this still uphold the charming and unique entertainment value that is so unique to him?...

It's safe to say that Last Night In Soho thrills it's audience with a very unique and freaky story. What first appears as a film where a young modern day woman is able to be transported back to the sixties, quickly takes a sharp left turn into a terrifying look into how women were treated in the dodgy world of Soho during the 1960s. Over the course of two hours, the film goes from level to level with it's phycological chaos. You really feel like you have gone down the rabbit hole of madness with our lead character, and the madness just gets more and more thrilling. The film is all over the place, and I absolutely love it for that! It just continues to help the audience feel fully invested in the story, and it gets to the point where I really felt like I was experiencing this psychological torture with our lead.

Having Krysty Wilson-Cairns involved with writing the screenplay was a huge benefit, as she has already proved how good she is at upholding a thrilling pace with her work on Sam Mendes' 1917. I can see this being a strong contender for best screenplay come award season, as it is the most unique story I've seen this year. There is also an amazing range of twists and turns in this film. This is where Wright's talents really come across, as just like his other films, whenever you feel like you have figured out the mystery, the film throws a curve ball, and keeps you guessing all the way through. There is a big red herring in this narrative, and when it's revealed, not only are you shocked, but you are also heartbroken as our lead takes in the horror that is unfolding before her.

I will admit that the first 15-20 minutes is a very sluggish beginning, and feels very mundane for an Edgar Wright movie. Compare the travelling sequence at the start of this film to a similar sequence in one of Wright's other films, 2007's Hot Fuzz, and you can see a huge difference. The one in Hot Fuzz is unique and says a lot about where the character was going. Whereas with Last Night In Soho, the travel sequence on first glance feels very much like something the average 2nd unit would film, very little about it identifies it as an Edgar Wright sequence. However, with the brisk pace of the film, it is likely that as with other Edgar Wright films, there will be a lot of elements that will be missed on first viewing, giving the film more reasons for repeat viewing, although the story itself will give enough reasons for that on it's own. But despite the sluggish start, once we begin flashing back to the 60s, the film quickly becomes very engaging and demonstrates quickly how it will likely stand as a unique example from the horror genre. It hardly relies on the standard jump scares, and focuses more on psychological horror, affecting our lead in a very torturous way. The few times that jump scares are utilised feel actually earned in this film, whereas most modern horror films overuse them to the point where it is too obvious what is going to happen.

Thomasin McKenzie is an exceptional lead, and really grows into her role as the film progresses. Her acting ranges from quiet and timid at the start, to a far reaching range of split personality fear. She's backed up by Anya Taylor-Joy, who really feels like she's been picked out of the 60s. She fits into the setting so well, and gives the audience a clear but unsettling view at how female performers were treated back in the sixties. She, like McKenzie demonstrates a strong range of acting talents, and her singing vocals were exceptional. The biggest shock for me was Matt Smith, who I am confident will blow people away with his performance. Considering many people are use to him being the lively and cheerful lead in BBC's Doctor Who, this role is a huge change for him, and shows how terrifyingly threatening he can be. The supporting cast also fulfil their roles really well, but huge credit should be given to Michael Ajao, who's kind, understanding and supportive demeanour is a really nice break from the rest of the world seeing McKenzie's Ellie as mentally unstable. He is the perfect character to support Ellie through this torment.

Production values are second to none, with cinematographer, Chung Chung-hoon providing a wide range of shots brimming with colour and frantic movement to help sell the unfolding chaos. They are also unique between vision and reality, which demonstrates Chung-hoon's incredible range and talent. It would be very wise to check out his past work, as well as those coming to us in the future, including the upcoming Disney+ series, Obi-Wan Kenobi. The production team really were triumphant at convincing it's audience that they were taking us back to the 1960s. The costumes were bright and flowing, which also added to the exploitative nature that women like Anya Taylor-Joy's Sandie were being forced to deal with. The classic 60s music is also a key factor in selling the period, and also is a unique soundtrack for a modern day movie. Having a jukebox soundtrack isn't anything unique, especially to an Edgar Wright film, but having it all be 60s music is special, as most film makers like to take advantage of songs from the 70s and more predominately, the 80s.

Overall, this is probably the most unique film Edgar Wright has made so far. It's not as witty and comedy based as his other work, but really embraces his talents for producing exceptionally thrilling horror, and getting a wide range of first class performances out of his cast. The small issues I had with the start, while definitely being an issue with the film building momentum, aren't thankfully too much of a hinderance. As previously stated, the film sells itself on the thrilling horror elements, and being transported back to the 1960s, and both elements are beautifully done. It's another winner for Edgar Wright!!

SCORES

Story - 4.5/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 4.5/5

TOTAL - 9.2/10