Edgar Wright has brought us a trip down a psychologically warped memory lane, conveniently timed for Halloween (it hits the cinemas this Friday, 29th October).
Last Night in Soho is more than just a horrifying look back into the past, however. It’s also a love letter to London from the director of the Cornetto trilogy. Here’s six things to look out for in the film.
Edgar Wright and screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns attending the Last Night In Soho screening at the London Film Festival. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for BFI).
Its 18-rating
Given the film’s main character is Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), a wide-eyed first-year fashion student – who heads to London from Cornwall to fulfil her creative ambitions (and rekindle part of her dead mother’s past) – you’d be forgiven for thinking this film wasn’t suitable for under-18s. Yet whilst its scenes of sexual and bloody violence do form a major (and gruesome) part of the plotline, it’s the use of one particular c-word that had the BBFC make this film acceptable for adults only (see here for more of Susie Dent’s explanation of such profanity).
Toucan Bar
Another key aspect of the film revolves around the Toucan Bar – where, like any cash-straddled student, Eloise takes up a job to help her pay for rent (not that she goes out much, save for her trips to the past, which are presumably cheap when considering inflation). For those unfamiliar with The Toucan, it’s one of Soho’s eminent drinking establishments. Whilst the time-machine of Eloise’s room is one thing to suspend your disbelief with, the fact the film doesn’t stick to the Guinness-only serving in real life at The Toucan is quite another…
The rising stock of Thomasin McKenzie
It takes something to be as equally fitting in both present-day Soho and the 1960s. Yet Thomasin McKenzie does this with aplomb. Following her emergence from the cupboard in Jojo Rabbitt, she has continued to grow in stature and this film may just be the making of her. The New Zealand actress treads further acting lines here: a new-to-London student who isn’t too awed by the capital, a lover of the 60s who doesn’t obsess unconvincingly, a fashion designer who’d rather have a night-in. There are some big names in this film – chiefly Matt Smith and Anya Taylor-Joy – and McKenzie does more than just hold her own.
ArrayA superb soundtrack
It wouldn’t quite be a return to the 60s without a classy soundtrack to match, would it? A film with such nostalgic capacities has the music of Dusty Springfield and Cilla Black at its disposal – the latter of whom makes a brief appearance at the smoke-filled bar where Eloise is whisked off to each night. The soundtrack also establishes the film’s tone as, like the crackling of a vinyl record, the past Eloise returns to slowly begins to snap. The film’s denouement (being as spoiler-free as possible), in which a box of records is slowly destroyed, serves as a metaphor for one of the film’s main messages: like old records, the past can return to delight as much as it can haunt.
Expect one or two jump-scares – not a full-blown horror
The film may be out for Halloween but it’s certainly more of a psychological horror than a full-on fright night. Its screenwriter, Krysty Wilson-Cairns, was keen to ensure much of the horror derived from its unfortunate relatability to people, especially women, living in London. ‘I think when you’re writing a horror film or a thriller, it’s really important that the horrifying and thrilling thing about it is true,’ she explained at a recent film awards. ‘I lived in Soho, I lived above a strip club, I worked in a bar, and I saw a lot of pretty horrible things that I thought were genuinely terrifying.’ The scenes of creepy taxi drivers and stalking silhouettes is a London we sadly know all-too-well.
Some cinephiles may view the film as being, or at least being inspired by, giallo – a particular style of thriller-horror popularised in Italy that have a particular mystery element. Regardless, expect to jump out your seat at least once or twice.
Anya Taylor-Joy and Thomasin McKenzie at the LA premiere of Last Night In Soho. (Photo by Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images).
Anya Taylor-Joy’s Singing
True to her name, Anya Taylor-Joy is a joy to behold in this film, not least because of her a cappella rendition of Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’. The actress, who garnered an impressive and growing fanbase through her lead role in the Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit, told audiences at the LA premier of Last Night in Soho that she believed such a performance would add a ‘vulnerability’ to her character of aspiring singer Sandie. Edgar Wright, meanwhile, said he had an inkling she could sing, but didn’t know just ‘how well’ once they got to the film set, and admitted they were ‘wowed’ by her voice. Have a look (and listen) for yourself when the film releases this Friday.
Last Night in Soho is released in cinemas on Friday, 29th October.
