[Review] Last Night in Soho (2019) | Edgar Wright

[Review] Last Night in Soho (2021) | Edgar Wright | Anya Taylor-Joy | Matt Smith | Thomasin McKenzie

Last Night in Soho 2019 Edgar Wright Anya Taylor-Joy

Last Night in Soho (2021) is psychological horror mystery by Edgar Wright. Krysty Wilson-Cairns co-wrote the screenplay, and the film was produced by Nira Park, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner & Edgar Wright, with cinematography Chung by Chung-hoon, edited by Paul Machliss & music by Steven Price.

Starring Thomasin McKenzie as Eloise “Ellie”, Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandie, Matt Smith as Jack, Rita Tushingham as Peggy, Michael Ajao as John, Synnøve Karlsen as Jocasta, Pauline McLynn as Carol, Terence Stamp as the Silver Haired Gentleman & Diana Rigg as Ms Collins, Last Night in Soho was released on 19 October 2021.

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

Last Night in Soho (2021) Synopsis:

A murder in the past. A mystery in the future.

A young girl, passionate about fashion design, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters her idol, a dazzling wannabe singer. But 1960s London is not what it seems, and time seems to be falling apart with shady consequences.

Last Night in Soho (2021) Review:

Last Night in Soho and A Fistful of Fingers were the only two Edgar Wright films I hadn’t watched (I had no idea he made the panned film, The Running Man). I felt skeptical of Soho because it received mixed reviews. While I really enjoyed Baby Driver, I don’t think it came close to the brilliance of Wright’s Cornetto Trilogy or even Scott Pilgrim. Still, I appreciate Wright’s quirky style enough to give it a shot.

Last Night in Soho had an interesting premise. I wasn’t sure if the ‘dreams’ that Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie) sees of 60s London would be rationalised or passed off as ‘a gift’. Either way, Wright had ample room to explore the concept in a visually creative way. And for the most part, he did! But, overall, the film did feel underwhelming when compared to Wright’s earlier work.

Thomasin McKenzie as Ellie & Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandie

A Bold & Interesting Take On Murder Mysteries

Now, I’ve read/seen a few stories where characters solve the mystery of their past live’s murder. But often, those stories depend on your belief in reincarnation and other religious/mystical elements. Last Night in Soho does none of that. Without ever explicitly stating how and why Ellie can see Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) in her dreams, the film barrels forward with style and exuberence.

While Ellie’s story did feel a tad dull in the beginning, everything came alive with the 1960s sequences. It added that flair which was missing, and continued to keep the film fresh and energetic. Even when that ‘flair’ slowly devolves into a horrid nightmare, the film’s energy stays alive with the psychological torment that Ellie undergoes while trying to keep herself sane and solve Sandie’s murder.

From the visual to the slowly growing absurdity of Ellie’s situation, the film grows with each scene. But, where it succeeded at creating a visual and cinematic treat, it did fall short with the story and ending. The murder mystery itself wasn’t all that great, if you ask me. The twist was shocking, but left me asking more questions than it should have. A little too-good-to-be-true, Sandie’s revelation did leave me with mixed feelings. For a film that had so much good, a little more care for the twist would have served to make this a much more enjoyable experience.

All in all, a good film. But, with Edgar Wright at the helm, my expectations were much higher.

Mixed Reviews for a Reason

Matt Smith as Jack, Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandie & Thomasin McKenzie as Ellie

With everything he’s made, it’s clear that Edgar Wright has a knack for visual and cinematic storytelling. It’s most apparent with his Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World’s End). It fit perfectly with Scott Pilgrim’s video game aesthetic. And, his touch on Ant Man with Luiz’s narration was pretty apparent. However, it did feel quite restrained in Baby Driver. The same is true for Last Night in Soho. Despite the stunning visual, the film does suffer from some dull moments. Even the visuals and narrative treatment doesn’t feel as inspired as Wright’s older work. While I love that Wright is exploring different genres outside his comfort zone, I can’t help but feel disappointed by the comparative constraint on his creativity.

The pacing of this film was also an issue for me. While Sandie’s parts were alive and charged up, Ellie’s were dull and boring. I think it’s because the film failed to make me like Ellie as a person. She’s a small town girl with skill and talent trying to make it in the big city. But, her personality didn’t really stand out all that much. A dull protagonist often results in a relatively mediocre story. If not for the visual treatment, the film would have been significantly duller than it ended up being.

The last part of the film in particular was equally visually stunning as it was narratively flat and silly. The ending was a little too ridiculously simplistic, and needed audiences to push their suspension of disbelief. I had too many doubts about the ending, which the lack of explanation only worsened. While it was a decent ending, it felt underdeveloped and rushed.

Last Night in Soho (2021) Ending Explained (SPOILERS)

Ellie decides to leave Soho and informs Ms Collins (Diana Rigg) about her decision. Ms Collins makes her a cup of tea, because Ellie seems rattled. However, as she’s done drinking the tea, Ms Collins reveals that she is Sandie. The visions Ellie is getting aren’t of her murder, but Jack’s (Matt Smith). She claims that she killed him, then proceeded to murder every man who used and abused her because they could. And now, because Ellie went to the cops, she has to get rid of Ellie too. There’s poison in the tea, and it will kill her.

However, just then, John (Michael Ajao) comes looking for Ellie. Ellie warns him just in time, but Ms Collins/Sandie still stabs him. In an ensuing scuffle, Sandie’s cigarette falls into a crate of old records, setting the apartment building on fire. Ellie rushes upstairs and locks herself in the room. The apparitions of the dead men beg Ellie to help them by killing Sandie. Sandie breaks in, but she too can see the spirits. Struck by Jack, and with the cops at the door, Sandie slowly realises the gravity of her actions.

She slices her neck. Ellie stops her, understanding why she did what she did. However, Sandie tells her to go save John, and remains in the building as it burns down. Paramedics save John and Ellie.

Sometime later, Ellie becomes a successful designer, and is at a show with her grandmother and John. She sees her mother in a mirror smiling proudly at her. But, she also sees Sandie appear, smiling and blowing a kiss. Almost as if Sandie wanted to thank Ellie for releasing her.

Is Last Night in Soho (2021) worth watching?

Anya Taylor-Joy as Sandie

Depends. If you have nothing else to watch, this can be a good way to spent two hours. But, go in with managed expectations. As an Edgar Wright fan, this isn’t his best work. But, it’s also not his worst.

In Conclusion:

Last Night in Soho (2021) by Edgar Wright is a sleek and stylish film that’s full of energy, but also faces pacing issues with an ultimately weak ending.

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ronitjauthor

December 23, 2025