Edgar Wright has long been one of my favorite directors. His work spoke to me in my geeked out 20s and has evolved slightly, just as (hopefully) I have. The resounding aspect of Wright’s films is that he’s a lover of cinema and pop culture. His filmography is full of clever satire and love letters to genre films. Now, Wright evolves further as a filmmaker and takes us along for a ride dedicated to vibrant, and often grimy, 60s and 70s thrillers.
In Last Night in Soho, An aspiring fashion designer, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), rents a room that transports her to the 1960s, where she experiences life by proxy of a wannabe lounge singer (Anya Taylor-Joy). But the glamour of that decade isn’t all it appears to be, as these events take a dark turn and start creeping into Eloise’s life.
With Last Night in Soho, Wright has left behind most of the blink-and-you-miss-it visual gags, brisk editing, and lovable loser main characters. Here, Wright takes his time to craft the vibe of what it meant to live the nightlife in the stylish 1960s in London. The color palette is hyper stylized to the point where colors and lighting determine our moods in scenes and it’s very persuasive.
This movie belongs to the two leads, McKenzie and Taylor-Joy. McKenzie plays Eloise as a mousy young woman who lacks the skills that would help her climb a social ladder, but makes up for that in her passion and talent. It doesn’t take much for her to get completely wrapped up as an eavesdropper in a lavish lifestyle decades previous. Her descent into these visions is acted wonderfully by McKenzie to the point where you pity her character for what her curiosity has led to.
Anya Taylor-Joy is so incredibly dynamic in her role. There’s so much intrigue behind her story and emotion to her character, it’s difficult to imagine anyone else playing Sandie.
Last Night in Soho is oozing with decadence that somehow turns into trippy 60s-era film techniques. The soundtrack is a wonderful exclamation point that puts viewers in the decade, but also makes you feel that something isn’t quite right.
Don’t be scared away by the praise of this movie’s style. The focus is the journey that we view through Eloise’s eyes, just as she watches Sandie’s past. A mystery unfolds slowly at first. We are more drawn in by the spectacle, and much like Eloise, we are in too deep just as events spin out of control. I found the pacing lacking Wright’s frenetic speed, but once the credits roll, I was happy to see it start slowly and wrap up perfectly.
I devoured Last Night in Soho. It’s a film I’ve been waiting years for and it didn’t let me down. I’ll always love what Edgar Wright created two decades ago, but I love that he’s grown up. He no longer relies on his naturally extremely fun style and tropes. Instead, he’s evolving his style and maturity as a filmmaker. This film feels like an independent British film with grimy content, so it may not be for everyone, but I can’t wait to experience the twisted dream again. A-
Comments are closed.