Last Night in Soho

 Last Night in Soho

Director – Edgar Wright

Writers – Edgar Wright (story by) & Krysty Wilson-Cairns (screenplay by)

2021, UK

Stars – Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith

Starting in typical Wright music video style, ‘Last Night in Soho’ plunges headfirst into the Sixties vibe and never lets up. There will be a shedload of Swinging Sixties hits, with the obviousness and delights of The Searcher’s ‘Don’t Throw Your Love Away’ and Sandie Shaw’s ‘Puppet on a String’ (not even trying to be subtext) not the least; the film is giddy with them, and if you are suckered in immediately by the vertiginous melodramas of Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich’s eponymous track, or ‘Downtown’, then that’s sure to set the film’s place in your affections.  Indeed, it takes a moment to realise that this is set in the modern world because our protagonist Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is obsessed with the Swinging Sixties (it was the I don’t think Wimpy’s exist anymore line that clued me in). There’s even Rita Tushingham present and correct.

It’s a fine piece of entertainment due to style, even if I suspect its full-blown Sixties homage masks the fact that it’s longer than its horror content warrants. There’s lot of razzle-dazzle here, a lot of fun if you frequent London and find yourself trying to recognise side streets – but. 

From the start it’s an obvious confection, almost cartoonish in its broad strokes and veneer with giallo’s passing glance at realism. No matter how effectively Thomasin Mackenzie emotes for sympathy and Ana Taylor-Joy vamps, and Matt Smith delights with his groove onto the dancefloor, there’s no escaping the dents of bad writing. Don’t expect a realistic portrayal of fashion school life, or romance, for example. Wannabe love interest Michael Ajao’s John has no other character but to fawn after Eloise (Mackenzie), even when dangerous hysteria and assault enter the equation. Diana Rigg, in her final role, and Terence Stamp give poise and gravitas while the youngsters are giving all the flare.

It's proven divisive with audiences, leaving some giddy with joyous horror delights and others totally unimpressed, even hateful. I feel I want to abstain: while it was in full flow, I was curious and admittedly entertained, and surely seeing it on the big screen with a loaded amount of goodwill made all the difference, yet I never felt fully swallowed up. Almost… I find the crucial flaws in retrospective consideration undeniable, and shrugging ensues. Wright does a lot right – the mirror play; the soundtrack; the atmosphere – so there are a lot of surface pleasures. It’s joyful in the manner of musicals, which is emblematic of Eloise’s naïve worldview; but this may conflict with the viewer’s taste in horror, and the horror is standard (I did start to wonder how it earned its 18 rating), despite some nice enough twists (not that you wouldn’t anticipate… and rather there’s satisfaction in retroactively realising how the twists have been set up). 

So, if a joyful cartoon of a giallo horror is something to win you over, where illogic and dodgy dialogue abound; if you don’t mind the occasional plot hole (not convinced a fatal car accident on that side street; an unaddressed assault; John’s ever-dwindling character), then the style and homage might hit your buttons.