Last Night in Soho (2021) Review

 

  "Has a woman ever died in my room?"

"Ms. Collins: This is London. Someone has died in every room in every building and on every street corner in the city."

  Last Night in Soho (2021) - directed by Edgar Wright, is a psychological thriller that follows a young woman by the name of Eloise Turner, (Thomasin McKenzie ) an aspiring fashion designer who has recently moved to London. Upon arrival, Eloise begins to have visions of Sandie, (Anna Taylor-Joy) a confident, aspiring, young singer from the late '60s. Eloise's infatuation is short-lived after she begins to unveil the dark past that has plagued the city for decades. (Potential Spoilers Ahead) 

 If you watched the trailer for the film before watching, it would be hard to identify what genre of film it is. That same mystery is persistent throughout the film. From the beginning of the film, Edgar Wright makes it abundantly clear that he will keep the audience guessing until the very end. He does this not only with the plot but with the concepts of the film as well. Constantly juggling themes of suspense, horror, coming of age, and nostalgia. Furthermore, the 2nd and 3rd acts of the film juggle two different periods, interchanging scenes with the protagonists Eloise and Sandie. I believe Wright makes this creative choice to show that while the times may have changed from sixties-to modern-day London, there are still eerily similar issues that these women face. 

However, this might be the biggest problem with the movie. The film never establishes a set tone leaving the plot to be a bit messy at times. While themes are interesting, Wright appears to be dipping his toe into the water rather than making a complete splash. Carried by is beautiful pageantry and cinematography, as well as the strong performance from McKenzie, Last Night in Soho leaves much to be desired.