Last Night In Soho

This is an article “Last Night In Soho” by Marc Primo

Release date: 29 October 2021 (UK)

Director: Edgar Wright

Language: English

Production Companies: Film4 Productions, Perfect World Pictures, Working Title Films, Complete Fiction Pictures

Producers: Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Edgar Wright

SPOILER ALERT:

"That’s a lovely name."

Director Edgar Wright's latest visual spectacle, Last Night in Soho, is probably the hippest and grooviest film in the horror genre by far. Imagine putting bits and pieces of Mean Girls, Mulholland Drive, Suspiria, plus shades of genius from Alfred Hitchcock and Michel Gondry into a blender. What you get is a psychedelic trip worthy of more time than the 116 minutes you'll invest watching it.

From the opening dance scene, you'll never know what to expect from this unique ghost film. Early on, you'll notice its tasteful production value as it builds an invisible wall between the past and present. That's just how meticulous Wright's vision is for this masterpiece that even surpasses his previously acclaimed work 2017's Baby Driver. Viewers get to latch onto the characters quickly and hop along for the entire ride – not knowing that everything they know isn't what they seem.

From a more profound perspective, it serves as a study of how the swinging ‘60s somehow inveigled women into darker territories as they pursued their dreams. It gives audiences a contrasting reflection of an unforgettable era's glamorous exterior and the true terror that lies behind the other side of the mirror.

For many horror fans, Last Night In Soho is a refreshing take on old formulas that work when every ingredient and dose are suitable for the mix. It is a film experience that will not be forgotten for a long time.

Daughters of the '60s Soho Riots

The story revolves around a college freshman, fashion designer wannabe, and '60s old soul Eloise "Ellie" Turner (Thomasin McKenzie). Having been admitted to a London college to pursue her fashion design studies, she bids her grandmother and rural home in Tushingham farewell.

However, those are not the only things she leave behind. Gifted with a third eye, Ellie also bids farewell to the ghost of her deceased mother, an aspiring fashion designer who committed suicide when Ellie was seven.

As Ellie tries to pursue a new life in London, she immediately realizes the truth in her grandma's words when she tells her, 'be careful, there are lots of bad people – they're bad apples.' With a mean roommate who flocked with other ingenuine lasses and party-crazy friends to torment Ellie on her first night, she soon decides to rent a gloomy flat in Soho owned by an elderly landlady, Alexandra Collins (Diana Rigg).

It is during the first night at her new flat when the contrast between dreamlike wonder and harsh reality occurs. As she sleeps, she takes on the persona of a certain Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) from the ‘60s, an aspiring and fashionable singer with big dreams for the big time. Viewers are then taken for a ride that transports them back and forth, simulating an ominous feeling similar to Ellie’s as she loses sleep over the surreal experiences. During the day, she is a confident and achieving student but at night, she turns into a regular party girl of the swinging ‘60s.

Soon, the dream sequences transform from inspiring to horrific as a wolf in gentleman's clothing named Jack (Matt Smith) begins pimping Sandie to dirty old men. Fortunately for Ellie, there’s John (Michael Ajao) as her chivalrous suitor in real life. However, the balance in Ellie’s life is later disrupted by the horrors that she experiences through Sandie during her dreams.

Night after night, dirty old men abuse Sandie, who cannot escape Jack's stranglehold. Like a twisted form of courtesy, each man would ask her what her name is. Sandie would then give a fake one to play along, yet the usual “that’s a lovely name” reply soon becomes a persistent insult more than her own funny bit.

Save for one night as she sat with a certain Lindsay who was, in fact, an undercover cop. Lindsay asks Sandie for her name, and he instantly knows the answer is fake. He then asks for her real name, which she obligingly gives. It turns out Lindsay is the only man she ever sat with that did not take advantage of her. But as fate would have it, Sandie would turn him away, much to Ellie’s dismay.

Due to lack of sleep, Ellie's nightmarish visions soon seeped into her reality. She suddenly becomes aware of an old man (Terrence Stamp) who stalks her, making it too easy to assume that it was Sandie's pimp, Jack, who was somehow out to get her. She started seeing the ghosts of dirty old men haunting her wherever she went. And just as things became more unbearable for Ellie after Jack slashed Sandie's throat in bed during a dream, more demented twists begin to manifest.

A Breakthrough in Horror

There's no question that Taylor-Joy is very much in the running for the title of Queen of Horror after Last Night In Soho, and her other excellent performances in Split and The Witch. Her character perfectly aligns with that of Mckenzie's Ellie in a way that we see two contrasting female leads that seem to share the same degree of passion.

On the technical side, the film was never afraid of taking risks. From Wright's gripping screenplay and direction, Chung-hoon Chung's astounding cinematography, and the excellent editing work by Paul Machliss, Last Night In Soho is a definite shoo-in come awards season.

Kudos also goes to Steven Price's score, particularly during a scene where Ellie finds herself on the brink of sleep with her headphones on, dozing off on a sofa, while a dorm party rages. The fusion of EDM beats and catchy '60s show tunes perfectly shows viewers exactly what they're in for – an experience of past and present, in perfect sync.

The way Wright navigates his audience through the many twists, turns, and dark corners of the film will make any viewer think twice about looking away. It's a new kind of horror that lifts your spirits, only to leave you with some sense of guilt and misery as the story unfolds.

More importantly, it makes you ponder a couple of things: Which of the two female leads has the right mindset when all the torment sets itself in place? Who are the real victims? What's in a name?

Once you've finished watching Last Night In Soho and figured everything out for yourself, you might be able to hear one of Ellie's ingenuine schoolmates whisper in your ear, "You really are so brave."