‘Last Night in Soho’ Review: Can Edgar Wright Make Giallo Magic?

Amanda Nevada DeMel

4 years ago

At first glance, Last Night in Soho contains almost everything a film fan could want. We have a new Edgar Wright film after a four-year-long waiting period, Anya Taylor-Joy back in the horror genre for the first time since her film debut in 2015’s The Witch, Diana Rigg’s final performance, and a delightful 1960s mod aesthetic. While all these work on the film’s behalf, I personally sensed something lacking. It is a fun ride, certainly worth watching at least once, but it left me wanting a bit more.

Aesthetic Brilliance

Aesthetically, Last Night delivers. It’s beautiful in terms of cinematography, editing, and especially color. You can see the influence of Italian Giallo flicks from the ‘60s and ‘70s, as well as that of Bob Fosse’s Oscar-winning 1972 film adaptation of Cabaret. We see the striking color schemes of the Giallo and the seedy underbelly of a glamorous life like that in Cabaret.

The sound design of the film also served it well. The soundtrack, full of swingin’ British ‘60s tunes, set the mood and grounded us in the respective worlds of the characters. The score was usually subtle enough to add tension without distraction, except for during scenes of action. Even if you’re not familiar with the ins and outs of sound design (I’m not an expert myself), you’ve probably noticed this trend in horror movies: the bass gets very heavy, perhaps even distorted, when the climax of tension draws near. Look at your favorite jump scare for an example of the building of tension to the crescendo at the moment of reveal. When a heavy bass is overused, though, it loses its power. Every scene of conflict in Last Night in Soho, to my recollection, amplifies the bass and, therefore, downgrades the tension.

Acting Highlights and Shortcomings

In terms of acting, we get a surprisingly complex role out of Terence Stamp, a riveting send-off for Diana Rigg, and a true femme fatale in Anya Taylor-Joy. I was also pleasantly surprised by Matt Smith’s performance as the nefarious Jack, a manager for rising talent in the 1960s. He yelled quite a bit in Last Night, but he made his rage convincing, unlike his delivery as the Doctor in his three seasons of Doctor Who. But that’s a discussion for another day.

When it comes to Thomasin McKenzie, however, she was a bit of a letdown. McKenzie’s character, Eloise, the protagonist, is well written with the capacity for nuance. Unfortunately, I could only detect a few obvious expressions on her face: shock, anger, confusion, excitement. Throw in some glimpses of subtler emotions, and you get the whole actress. It could very well be that her over-the-top acting was an homage to the women of Giallo films, but it didn’t work well with the more natural performances of the rest of the cast.

Pacing and Plot Transitions

Moving on to the writing of the movie, I have mixed feelings. The dialogue was smooth and natural, which is, of course, essential for a film. The plot moved from conflict to conflict swiftly, and while it worked for most of the story, the shift from good times to horrifying turmoil was too quick. Over the span of 24 hours, equating to just a few minutes of screentime, there is a complete reversal of fortune. We’re at the height of bliss one night, only to be plunged into the nadir of despair the next. As a trailer for the movie states, sometimes it really only takes one night to change your world. The jarring shift didn’t work for me, but considering that the film clocks in at an hour and 56 minutes, I’m not sure how much more of a slow burn we could get.

Final Thoughts and Recommendation

Perhaps some time could have been saved by leaving the final scene on the cutting room floor. The scene played like an epilogue, and one that I’ve seen many times to boot. Coming from a prose fiction background, I’ve been steered away from epilogues by editors, readers, and fellow writers. They’re not frequently well received. How many times can we say we’ve really gained something, whether a new understanding or important information, from a scene of the aftermath of a story? When there’s a proper resolution, as Last Night in Soho almost provides, readers and viewers often don’t need or want an epilogue. The final scene wrapped up one loose end, which was appreciated but overall, it felt contrived.

Don’t get me wrong, Last Night in Soho is well worth watching at least once. I simply wasn’t blown away as some critics and audiences seemed to be. There were some jewels of brilliance, but they weren’t polished to their full potential, such as the inversion and complication of the Madonna-Whore Complex. Still, go to your local cinema, support the film and theater industry, and form your own opinions.