Last Night In Soho: Movie Review

Last Friday, Edgar Wright’s new film “Last Night in Soho,” came out in theaters Friday. If anyone reading this is on the fence about seeing it, I’m here to tell you it’s worth the watch.

I will begin this review by saying my expectations were high for this movie the moment I saw the trailer back in twenty-twenty. Once I saw the film, though, I left the theater satisfied for once that my expectations had been met. That’s not something I can always say regarding cinema.

 About the Film.                             

When I first watched the trailer for “Last Night in Soho.” I got the impression that the concept was going to be like the Hallmark movie “The Love Letter,” where two people from different points in time could talk with each other. So imagine my surprise when I realized that this was not just a movie about time travel, but also had paranormal aspects.

The movie starts by following Eloise Turner or Elle as she likes to be called who is from our time. Elle is an old soul and loves the sixties as the audience can immediately gather by her room decor and music choice. The audience also learns that our girl loves fashion and has big dreams of becoming a designer in London. Elle, however, has a special gift, one that her Gran is aware of. She can see her mother's ghost.

Now before you roll your eyes and go great, another story about a girl that can see the dead. I’m here to tell you that Elle doesn’t see every ghost that’s hanging around. In fact, her gift seems limited at first to only her mom, and only at certain times, like when she looks in the mirror. I really appreciated that Wright limited Elle’s gift and didn’t go the route, so many other directors go with having their character's gift be overpowered. It brought a different take to the paranormal genre.

One aspect of the film that I thought was well done was how everything about the film tied back to each other, so it all made sense at the end. Everything from the music, to how the characters interact both in modern and pastime.

The character that the movie is really about is Sandy, she’s from the sixties era. When Eloise first sees her, she’s entering a nightclub in search of the owner, hoping to get a job as a singer. It’s also at this nightclub that we meet Jack, who takes a liking to Sandy and promises to help her in her quest to be a singer.

The next morning, Eloise wakes up excited for the next night to watch Sandy’s story unfold. Not everything is as it seems and soon our poor Eloise is going to learn that not everything in the sixties was gold.

What Worked in this Film?

The first thing that struck me was how well the little details, like music and fashion choice, kept the focus on Eloise and Sandy equally. All the music was from the sixties and Eloise designed her style around from what she’d seen Sandy wear. I think that really helps build a connection between the characters and helped the flow of the movie.

The second biggest thing that helped the film was how characters from the present connected back to the past. I think it helped keep the show centered and not break that connection to the past that was being built upon. As time travel films can sometimes do if they aren’t done right.

The third thing that caught my attention was how well Eloise’s perception of events was played out. The audience got to see through her eyes and feel the frustration, fear, and horror that she did, and it was done beautifully. We sorta see how her gift overwhelms her, and at certain points leaves the audience questioning how much of this is her gift and not her mind.

The fourth thing that I think was done well was the message that the movie was about. If you look past the supernatural element. The movie sends a simple message about being careful who you trust.

What Didn't Work in this Film?

As much as I loved this movie; one thing that annoyed me about it was the side characters. Our main character is going to a college, however, her schoolmates still act like high school mean girls. Now I know every movie needs an antagonist, but I really felt having a mean girl clique just didn’t work in this film. Honestly, it just pissed me off and had me yelling in my mind, Grow Up!

The second issue is Eloise’s relationship with John. Eloise sorta acts hot and cold with him, which still leaves me wondering why he stayed around. I mean, that girl sent so many mixed signals to him that even I didn’t know what to think. I’m not saying it was awful, but if I was John, I would have avoided her kudos to him, though, for not judging.

The third issue I had, and this one was a more personal one, was how I felt lied to about how innocent the time was. Sure, there might not have been so much obvious crime, but things definitely weren’t all sunshine and roses.

Would I Recommend Seeing This Film?

The answer is both yes and no. I honestly think it depends on who I'm talking to. I have plenty of friends who I wouldn’t be comfortable sending to see this film, others I would wholeheartedly recommend it to.

As for others, I think it depends on your taste and what you enjoy as a viewer. I would say give it a chance, though, for it is truly a well-done work of art. So I ask that everyone reading this make their own decision and enjoy.