Last Night In Soho
Edgar Wright puts together a picturesque thriller; at times a love letter to this part of London, and at others a tribute to the 60’s, all while keeping you on the edge of your seat.
Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) is an aspiring fashion designer, who moves to London from her local country town to pursue her studies. After a brief interlude at a student accommodation complex, and the realisation she can’t stand any of her roommates, she takes a sublet room from an old woman in Soho. But this room has its secrets, and every night when she falls asleep she can mysteriously look in on the life of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) - a 1960s femme fatale whose pursuit of a singing career through manager Jack (Matt Smith) seem to lead her down a dark, disturbing path. As Eloise finds these increasingly disturbing visions bleeding more and more into her real life, she (along with her only friend, Michael Ajao’s John) must find a way to get closure for the forgotten blonde.
For those who think of Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead when they think of Edgar Wright, you might be in for somewhat of a surprise with this piece. Whereas Wright’s previous work undoubtedly skews towards the more comedic and fun, this is undeniably darker. There are real frights on display here; jump scares to rival any good thriller or modest horror. Indeed, the mental health aspect of this really plays with some of the feelings of helplessness for our hero, and Wright adroitly navigates the waters of depiction without judgement.
That being said, this film is multifaceted in the extreme, so there’s some great action, some beautiful dancing, and a bunch of laugh out loud moments. There is also a strong nostalgic thread, with the movie really coming alive when Wright transports us back to Soho in the 60s.
From a cinematography perspective, this movie is absolutely gorgeous. The lighting is incredible - the set decoration, truly moving. Beautiful shots like the one through Eloise’s sheets when she first sleeps in her new room stay with you long after the film ends. And of course, the whole ‘looking in the mirror and seeing someone else’ thing is played with, to tremendous effect, over and over, but never more impressive than in a dance scene between Smith’s Jack, and alternately Sandie and Eloise.
Performances across the board are solid, although for some of the side characters like Jack or John, a little one note. Then again, this is very obviously McKenzie and Taylor-Joy’s movie, and their two-hander is a joy to see. Both actresses are incredible, and you’re unable to tear your eyes away.
The only hold-up for the film is that everything wraps up just a little too nicely, and progresses a little too repetitively. Nevertheless, this is a hotly anticipated film that definitely lives up to expectations; a beautiful, terrifying love letter to Soho in the 60s.
