by: Mia Francis

A masterfully told expose of why the past is better remembered and not romanticized.

I’m a sucker for a well-told period piece but let me start by saying Last Night In Soho is so much more just an era piece. It is a cautionary tale of how we often fanaticize the past, glossing over the traumatic experiences and only remembering the beautiful memories. This screenplay penned by Krysty Wilson-Cairns with a story by writer/director Edgar Wright was a decade in the making for Wright. Wright and Wilson-Cairns created a complex but beautifully told story that culminated over a shared interest in the time period and the personal experiences of Wilson-Cairns having lived in Soho and working in a bar while in school at NFTS. It was there in the streets of Soho that Wright told Wilson-Cairns about the story he’d envisioned and she loved it, stating “I remember gripping onto the tables as he was telling me it. He’s a very good storyteller!” (Indiewire). Over a year later Wright formally asked Wilson-Cairns to co-write “Last Night In Soho” with him and thankfully for us her answer was a resounding yes!

Last Night in Soho starts with an optimistic Ellie (played by Thomasin McKenzie), a 60’s era-obsessed young woman, who’s embarking on a journey to London to chase her dreams of becoming a clothing designer as she was just accepted to the London College of Fashion. Ellie has lost her mom and is being raised by her loving grandma who is supportive but cautious of her leaving because of the circumstances that lead to her moms’ death and the similarities they share.

Ellie is excited to see and experience the bright lights, sounds, and experiences London has to offer. Though London has its own plans and isn’t all glitz and glamour. Upon arriving in London and finding her dorm, she is greeted by her absolute cunt of a roommate who immediately proves insufferable. A few nights of the typical debauchery that ensues in most college dorms is enough to prompt Ellie to find a place of her own and this is where Soho starts its game with Ellie’s mind.

Ellie meets Ms. Collins, a seemingly nice older woman who owns and operates a ladies-only boarding house and rents Ellie a room. Ellie, unknowing of the experiences that occurred here gladly accepts the steep terms of renting the space and immediately thereafter seeks employment at a nearby pub.

On Ellie’s first evening in her new place, she experiences a vivid “dream” sequence in which she is transported into 1960’s Soho as the elegant, glamorous and enchanting Sandie (played by Anya Taylor-Joy). We join Sandie as she saunters into a dance club, adorned in a gorgeous flowing peach/pink dress with blonde hair in a ’60s inspired half-up -half-down hairdo.

Sandie is a young vivacious woman, whose dream is to become a famous singer, she is enchanted with the singer whos belting out a tune as she enters the club. As she makes her entrance every male’s gaze falls on her. She catches the eye of one older gentleman who tries to woo her by saying he’s the club owner she is in search of, she sees through his charade and continues to the bar where the bartender informs her that the owner isn’t in but Jack is… he’s speaking with a singer who was just on stage and is told he manages a lot of girls...

This is the beginning of the descent into madness..this starts the dance with a dangerous past that Ellie seems to be called to uncover.

Things take a less than savory turn over the course of the movie for Sandie, showcasing why the glitz and glamor are often just a vale meant to hide the hideous underbelly of what it takes to be famous.

Ellie is along for the ride, determined to uncover a past shrouded in mystery, seemingly coming close yet still so far away from the truth at the same time. Ellie is driven to the brink of insanity and this is affecting her daily life. She can’t seem to focus on her present, too wrapped up in the past that she is hell-bent on solving.

This film is well worth the watch and the subsequent re-watch that you will be compelled to enjoy due to its melancholy yet mesmerizing nature.

Last Night In Soho is a master of modern cinema and deserves your patronage if we want to be graced by more amazing writing directing and filmmaking like this in years to come.

You can watch it now on VOD for $19.99 on Apple TV, Amazon Video, Vudu any many more and for the physical media enthusiasts among us, the 4K Blu-ray is available for pre-order now on Amazon, being released on January 18th, 2022.