Amidst a sea of cookie-cutter horror films, there are certain ones that roll in every once in a while and disturb the waters. They have such a distinct look and execution that they defy the genre and have such a memorable presence that they damn near redefine it. After creating Shaun of the Dead, one of the most quintessential comedy horror films ever made, Edgar Wright delves back into horror with the visceral, dizzying psychological horror-thriller Last Night in Soho, and he yet again shakes up the genre — this time with a more serious tone and in a manner that manages to get under the skin, yet still have fun with it.
The story centers around young Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie), a small-town, 1960's-obsessed aspiring fashion designer who was recently accepted into a prestigious fashion school in London. Once she arrives there, she has trouble adapting to big city life, enduring cruel flatmates until they drive her to find her own place. She settles into an antiquated flat owned by Ms.Collins (Diana Rigg), a strict, older woman who lives downstairs. At first, Ellie’s new home feels like a breath of fresh air, but her lifelong psychic gift begins to surface there with a vengeance. Her dreams become consumed by the life of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), a beautiful young woman who lived in Ellie’s flat in the 1960's and was an aspiring singer. At first, Ellie welcomes these dreams because she’s able to vicariously live in the decade she loves through Sandie, but as the dreams progress, they take a sinister turn as Ellie learns Sandie’s life was actually more of a nightmare than fantasy.
These dream sequences display some of the most exceptional moments in Last Night in Soho. Almost like Dorothy going from Kansas to the land of Oz, the 1960s London Ellie enters is a vibrant Technicolor wonderland that feels transcendent. Dizzying camera motions capture the overwhelming yet invigorating hustle and bustle this world presents for Ellie, who enters a glamorous nightclub that ends up engulfing most of her subconscious. Some brilliant trickery of the camera happens at this nightclub as Wright strives to convey that Ellie has essentially become Sandie here: the two characters so fluidly keep switching places mid-scene that it’s one of the most cleverly simple yet impressive practical effects to daunt the screen. The reflective nature between Sandie and Ellie is a delight to watch during these dream sequences, and as the story progresses, this technique serves to amplify the psychological terror that unfolds, with Ellie eventually becoming completely immersed in Sandie’s tragic fate.
Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy are superb choices for the characters they portray. McKenzie has such a youthful vulnerability about her that is balanced by Taylor-Joy’s brazen ambition; they’re the perfect yin and yang to this double-sided coin they embody. Rounding out the cast are equally strong actors like Matt Smith as the charismatic Jack, a manager and love interest of Sandie’s, and Terrance Stamp, a mysterious old man who keeps surfacing in Ellie’s life. Each character is perfectly cast, and no line is wasted in this mystery that becomes more mysterious by the minute, with plot twists that keep the audience guessing. McKenzie ends up showing a great deal of range when her psychic visions become malevolent and start to devour her waking life to the point where she is wholly transformed. It’s a chilling yet captivating journey to watch on screen.
Last Night in Soho is a distinctly different film for Wright, abandoning the light, carefree attitude of so many of his predecessors, but a few of his telltale staples remain. His films’ soundtracks have a tendency to take on a life of their own, almost as though they’re a character in the film, and we have that yet again here: this time, we’re engulfed in the sounds of the '60s with an essence that’s so thick they occasionally give a nostalgia to modern day. Wright never disappoints when it comes to visual spectacles either: his almost comic book-like sensibility always brings a heightened reality to his pieces, as it does with this film as well, but here, the comic book it embodies feels more Creepshow than usual. Inspired by giallo and '60s British crime thrillers, the ultra-saturated, trippy landscape of this film is a side of Wright that feels familiar yet evolved, and it’s exciting to ponder where he goes from here.
Tonally dark yet colorful in presentation, Last Night in Soho shows psychological horror in a way that’s stunning, intoxicating, and jarring. This unsettling neon fever dream will haunt you for days to come, but you won’t want it any other way. Edgar Wright is a master of visual storytelling and has one of the most unique voices in modern cinema. This film is a feast for the eyes and fodder for the mind of anyone who has ever been able to find beauty in darkness.
-AK Riley
