An aspiring fashion designer is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker.
“Last Night in Soho” follows Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), a ’60s obsessed woman, who moves to London to pursue her fashion career. She hopes by moving she will escape seeing her dead mother in her reflection, but it comes with a cost. After moving out of her rude roommate’s dorm she decides to stay with an old woman to find some peace. However, she begins to have visions and sightings of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), a woman’s life from the 1960s, wanting to be a singer and how she was pimped out to men for it to lead to her horrifying death.
Edgar Wright does it again with great lighting, cinematography, and music choices. I found myself constantly asking how they did certain shots with the mirror scenes. The world Wright builds for his characters is very beautiful. He shows the polarizing difference between London in the 1960s versus the present. I also love how Ellie has this fantasy of what the ’60s were like and the reality hits her when she learns the truth. This is a common misconception that people have about the past, they only think about the music and the fashion and forget about the politics.
This was an interesting and unexpected take on the Horror/Thriller genre. However, after the success of “Baby Driver,” I expected this movie to give me more. The film was pretty good, but it took too long for us to get to the climax, and when we finally did, the story wrapped up too fast. I don’t want to give too much away, but I wish the ending followed the format of Jordan Peele’s “Get Out.”
Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie are perfectly cast as each other’s opposites. You may know Anya Taylor-Joy from “The Queen’s Gambit” or “Split,” and Thomas McKenzie from “Old” or “Jojo Rabbit.” I didn’t know Anya knew how to sing and her rendition of the song “Downtown” was simply beautiful and is something that needs to be heard in IMAX. Both of these women are up-and-coming actresses that will make big moves in the Hollywood industry. It will be interesting what we see from them next.
Overall, the movie was an enjoyable watch but I don’t see myself watching it several times as I have with Edgar Wright’s previous work. The set-up ran for too long and I would have loved to learn more about Ellie’s condition or her relationship with her mother.
In Theaters Friday, October 29th
