Wright’s foray into horror yields twisty, bloody results
You’d be forgiven if, when you saw the poster or trailer for Last Night in Soho, you assumed it would be some sort of edgy, stylized, dark humor-filled picture. After all, the film’s director is Edgar Wright, of Baby Driver, Shaun of the Dead, and The World’s End fame. The film’s marketers seem to be seizing on fans’ perception of Wright to sell the film, but make no mistake – this movie is markedly different from the rest. Above all else, this picture is a horror movie, and an exceptionally bloody one at that, making its Halloween weekend release appropriate.
The film does have a signature Wright plot twist, though, which is probably the best thing in the picture, and I won’t reveal it here. But credit for that goes to screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns, whose only other feature screenplay was last year’s 1917, which won her an Oscar. In some ways this film would seem as much a departure for her as for Wright, but she’s obviously experienced at researching and writing about historical time periods, and much of Last Night in Soho takes place in the London of the swinging ‘60’s. That Mad Men-esque aesthetic is the film’s other great strength, besides the unexpected story turn. The costumes, sets, soundtrack, and overall styling are spot on, and provide a lot of glossy fun. Until the fun stops.
By now you’re probably thinking, yes, but what is the film about? Again, this movie is the type where the less you know going in the better, but I’ll give you the basics. In the present day, aspiring young designer Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie, Old; Leave No Trace) is obsessed with the ‘60’s, the era of her deceased mother, whom she misses terribly. Ellie ventures from the English countryside home she shares with her grandmother to London to attend fashion school. There she meets the stereotypical group of mean girls in her dorm, who snicker at her self-made clothes and her mousy country ways. Escaping the cool-girl party scene, Ellie rents a room from a kindly landlady (Diana Riggs, the ‘60’s Avengers it girl and Game of Thrones actress, in her last role). In that house, Ellie begins having vision-like dreams of a former tenant who lived in her room in the 1960s, singer and dancer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy).
What follows is a neon-filled, heightened immersion into the mod period of 1960’s London, where Ellie becomes more and more entrenched in Sandie’s life, which isn’t as glamorous as Ellie first perceives. How their relationship plays out, and how it affects Ellie’s day-to-day life and her relationship with those around her are contrasted with Sandie’s own struggles as she tries to break into show business. As Ellie and Sandie’s worlds collide and the truth about their experiences is revealed, the tension ratchets up, and the movie takes a very bloody turn. Suffice to say the film is not just a time-bending psychological thriller, but also a pretty gruesome horror picture, with all its attendant jump scares and blood–so, so, so much blood. Consider yourself warned.
That said, the acting here is top notch: despite the picture’s eventual B-movie vibe, the cast all performs as if they’re in a film-festival competition indie. McKenzie captures a young woman’s descent into psychological chaos with appropriate confusion and despair, and Taylor-Joy continues to exhibit the striking emotional authenticity that we saw in The Queen’s Gambit and The Witch. Matt Smith (The Crown’s first Prince Philip) oozes equal parts charm and menace as Jack, who takes Sandie under his wing with promises of fame and fortune. And in a wink to his setting, Wright casts ‘60’s icons Riggs and Terence Stamp in smaller, but especially vital roles. Their presence lends an air of gravitas and artistry to the proceedings that helps transport us back to a seminal time and place.
The ending falters a little–we are left with many unanswered questions about various events and actions, but the ride to get there is so suspenseful and engaging that the weak ending can be forgiven. If you haven’t made your Halloween plans yet, an outing to this movie is a great option: the frights abound, the blood abounds, and they’re all wrapped up in London day-glo prints for your viewing pleasure.
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Last Night in Soho opens today at Bay Area theaters.
