29 Oct Last Night in Soho Review

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

dir. Edgar Wright, starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, and Terrance Stamp

Ellie Turner, a young, socially awkward country woman with a penchant for designing throwback fashion, makes her way to Soho to pursue her career. While there, she rents an attic room which, every night, somehow transports her back to 1960s London, awash in the glitz and glam of the period she so adores. Things aren’t all as they seem, though, as Sandie, her 1960s vessel through which she navigates these fever dreams, becomes increasingly caught up in the seedy underbelly of the city. As the dreams begin to coincide with her reality, Ellie’s life begins to fall apart with horrifying consequences.

Starring Thomasin McKenzie as Ellie, the majority of Last Night in Soho is seen through her perspective and McKenzie delivers in spades. Her performance is electric and captivating as Ellie is tortured by these past visions she can’t shake or solve. Her journey from tender hearted sweetheart devolving into paranoid psychotic is fascinating to watch as McKenzie moves through scenes. After seeing her in Jojo Rabbit, True History of the Kelly Gang, and now this, I’m firmly aboard the hype train. Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandie, an aspiring singer from the 60s, carries on the momentum she built from The Queen’s Gambit and continues to prove why she’s one of the best working actresses today. While not having the same amount of screen time as McKenzie, Taylor-Joy is a still a strong presence and makes the character easy to root for and sympathize with.

Matt Smith shoulders the role of Jack, Sandie’s boyfriend and the film’s antagonist. Smith’s 1960s oily charm and slicked backed hair have proven yet again that he’s far removed from his beloved days as The Doctor. Here’s he’s equal parts charm and menace as he tangles with Sandie after luring her into the lights and glam of being a performer. Dame Diana Rigg, in her final performance after the film was released posthumously, is always a delight to see on the screen and this role is no different. Her prickly, back-in-my-day demeanor which belies her other emotions are played by Rigg in a way that only the accomplished actress could. However, as far as supporting characters are concerned, the standout in this film is Michael Ajao as John, Ellie’s love interest. Due in part to Wright’s writing and in part to Ajao’s performance, John’s sweet, caring nature as he worries and frets over Ellie is refreshing to see on screen. John’s puppy dog eyes, rueful smile, respect for boundaries, and almost sheepdog like adoration for Ellie makes for crackling chemistry between the two. While McKenize is putting on the performance of her life in this film, Ajao is not far behind, genuinely making the film better whenever he’s on screen.

Last Night in Soho is directed by Edgar Wright, best known for directing the Cornetto Trilogy and darling rom-com action movie Scott Pilgrim vs the World. The common thread that has persisted throughout Wright’s body of work is his penchant for comedy; even in recent years, his previous movie Baby Driver, while not an outright comedy, still holds moments of lighthearted fun. Here in Last Night in Soho, however, Wright has chosen to strip away any pretense of his former comedic stylings; this movie is meant to make you jump. It’s no secret that comedy and horror are often paired together, being two sides of the same coin, and Wright manages to tap into that horror vein by delivering a story of a woman haunted by a past that isn’t hers. As the writer/director of the film, Wright’s strength here lies in his ability to compose and direct a scene. The cinematography is brilliant, consistently using mirrors as a motif of characters leading a type of dual life. Pacing is an issue, however; at 116 minutes, it takes quite a while for the story to get going. The middle act drags; as Ellie is struggling to understand what’s happening in her dream sequences, the audience may struggle to keep interest. The movie takes far too long investing in this world of 1960s Soho, and while the costumes and set design of the era are well crafted, Wright loses sight of the purpose of the story, for Ellie to find out what happened back then. Thusly, it takes longer than it needs to to set up for its conclusion, and when we get there, it feels rushed.

Overall, while presenting the audience with an interesting premise, Last Night in Soho falls apart in its final moments. While it’s a visually distinct film that’s most brilliant when working its camera trickery, the story itself suffers from a lack of tight focus and execution. Pacing issues and the final 15 minutes are what causes the movie to stumble across the finish line. Outside of that, a stellar performance from Thomasin McKenzie, a solid showing from Anya Taylor-Joy, and a delightful role from Michael Ajo are the true standouts of the film. A thriller that can’t manage to get out of its own way, the film sadly sits, for me, near the bottom of Edgar Wright’s radiant filmography. Last Night in Soho is currently in theaters.

Review by Darryl Mansel