Last Night in Soho

Summary

“This is London. Someone has died in every room in every building and on every street corner in the city.”

I was in my first year of college when the film Shaun of the Dead became an internationally beloved independent darling. I had never heard of actor Simon Pegg or of writer-director Edgar Wright, but I soon found myself streaming their brilliant and short-lived British television series Spaced on torrent websites because it had not yet been brought over to the States. I was (and still am) incredibly impressed by both the writing and the direction by Edgar Wright. I followed his career as he made two more excellent films with Simon Pegg, before pursuing other projects which included Scott Pilgrim vs. The World and Baby Driver. Every step of the way, Edgar Wright has risen to the occasion and delivered films that mirror my own taste and sensibilities. His cinephile and audiophile obsessions are expressed in his work, and we happen to like many of the same things. With his newest feature Last Night in Soho, Edgar has delivered his darkest and most mature work yet. As expected, I was thrilled by the imagery that Wright had put together. Working in the realm of a supernatural-psychological thriller, Wright has created an ambitious and beautiful film. Like other films by Wright, the film pays homage to a variety of influences that will be familiar to fans of art house films, but he blends the elements of those influences so well that it never distracts from the storytelling on display. I watched the film the other night.

Eighteen year old Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) has plans to move to London from the small house she lives in with her grandmother in the country. Eloise’s mother had perished years earlier, but Eloise can literally still see her mother when she looks in her bedroom mirror. Eloise loves fashion and the Sixties, so she idealizes what life in London will hold for her. She has enrolled in a fashion college in London and makes her way to the city. Arriving at her dorm she meets her posh Londoner roommate who is obviously better off than her and has lived in London for some time. Feeling insecure, Eloise still joins her roommate and some other students for a night out. In a restroom she can hear her roommate making fun of her and the clothes which she had made herself. Eloise decides to find a place to live off campus. In Soho, she stumbles upon a room for rent located above a neon sign-lit Bistro. The landlady Ms. Collins (Diana Riggs) explains the downsides of the place, including the strong garlic smell from the bistro, but Eloise is charmed. Upon moving into the flat, she finds herself drawn into the world of Soho in the Sixties when she sleeps. In her dreams (and later visions,) she begins to view the world of Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy) – a beautiful blonde who had come to London to make it as a singer and dancer. As Eloise experiences the story of Sandie, she begins to emulate her style and hairdo. This new style influences her dress designs and makes her stand out to her instructors at the school. Eloise also becomes acquainted with a kindhearted student named John (Michael Ajao) who takes an interest in her. At night, Eloise goes home so that she can sleep to experience the world of Sandie and her budding romance with the handsome Jack (Matt Smith.) Soon enough, the story of Sandie takes a darker turn and Eloise begins to investigate her murder. In the meantime, Eloise has seen a man in the streets (Terrence Stamps) that seems to be involved with Sandie’s story in some way. As Eloise investigates what happened to Sandie, she finds the nightmarish elements of Sandie’s story invading her present day.

Last Night in Soho is a fantastic film. It is the type of picture that could not be made by a director without years of experience in the field. Wright burst onto the scene with prodigious talent, but this film shows exactly how intricate he has become in his craft. Much of the film relies on techniques involving Eloise’s following of Sandie through her past in the mirrors in scenes as the flashbacks play out. This approach revolves around exacting performances by his cast, exquisite timing, and lots of time spent working on the mechanics behind the scenes. To pull off this feat, Edgar Wright worked as hard as possible to do any effects that could be done in-camera. He researched the ways in which other directors pulled off similar feats and spoke with director Gary Sherman about his mirror sequences in Poltergeist III. The resulting sequences are not only stunning; they are convincing. I am not often watching a film where I found myself asking how they had accomplished a sequence. This happened to me consistently as I watched the film. Last Night in Soho delivers old school movie magic consistently throughout the duration of the film. 

To pull off the elaborate sequences in the film, Edgar Wright employed notable cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung who is best known for his cinematography on films by director Park Chan-wook. I adore the films by Park Chan-wook and anyone who has seen them knows that the visual component of his films is extraordinary. Working together with Chung-hoon, Wright managed to create essentially a neon nightmare. 

There are some direct influences that I picked up on as I viewed the film. A couple years ago a documentary called Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Inferno was released (by Arrow Video.) The film focused on an unfinished film and some of the magnificent looking footage that Clouzot had shot before suffering a heart attack. That footage of Romy Schneider from Clouzot’s color tests informs some standout sequences in the film. If you have seen that film, the sequences will stand out to you. Another sequence in the picture draws influence from a memorable moment from Roman Polanski’s Repulsion. Wright manages to take great aspects from his influences to create a beautiful amalgam. Some have brought up that the film has shades of giallo, but the only aspects where I felt that was appropriately suggested was in regards to the film focusing on a central mystery (with shades of Dario Argento there) and in regards to the film’s brilliant score by Steven Price. These elements blend in with everything else in a positive way.

The acting in the film is terrific. Thomasin McKenzie is an eighteen year old actress cast in the role of Eloise. Her age is the same of the character portrayed in the film which adds something special to the performance. I think it is safe to say that we can expect great things from her in the future. Anya Taylor-Joy grabbed my attention and my wife’s attention last year in the fantastic series The Queen’s Gambit, and this should be a star-turning performance here. Matt Smith is well appointed in his role of the smooth-talking Jack. Terrence Stamp is perfectly cast in his role and Diana Rigg is lovely in her final onscreen performance. She will be missed.

The script of the film was co-written by Kristy Wilson-Cairns who most recently worked on the excellent 1917. She worked with Edgar Wright to create believable female characters and a strong script. I will be watching to see what credits she brings to the screen in the future.

I personally think that Last Night in Soho is one of the best releases since the Covid-19 pandemic began. It has the makings of a classic and should help to inspire a legion of filmmakers to continue to innovate by returning to the older practical techniques. Highly recommended.

Video

Last Night in Soho arrives on Blu-ray in its original aspect ratio of 2.39:1. The film was shot with a combination of Panavision Panaflex Millenium XL2 cameras with 35mm film while the night exterior shots were largely done with an Arri Alexa LF 4K camera with digital film. The mastering of the film was performed in 4K. This means that the 4K representation on the UHD is as perfect representation of the theatrical experience as possible with given technology, so if you have a 4K player, I would opt for that release. As for the Blu-ray, the film looks fantastic. There are some minor compression anomalies on the Blu-ray edition, but unless you are only looking for them inserted of viewing the film, there is nothing noticeable. The cinematography by Chung-hoon Chung is brilliant. I love his work with Park Chan-wook and his work here with Edgar Wright is every bit its equal. The camera movements are fluid and brilliantly designed, and his work with production designer Miranda Jones is amazing. Their recreations of the neon-lit streets of Soho in the sixties are mesmerizing. I also love the way in which the colors of that era begin to show up in our time as Eloise finds that time invading hers. The Blu-ray presentation is about as good as the film can look on that format. As mentioned, it looks great. For fans of the film, the Blu-ray is a great way to experience this film, but if you can get the UHD, it is advisable to do so! 

Audio

The Dolby Atmos track is fantastic. The score by Stephen Price harkens back to the best aspects of Italian thriller scores from the golden age of gialli. I loved the way that the score interacted with the numerous songs from the Sixties that Edgar Wright chose for the film. The track is bombastic and immersive. Clarity is excellent. The ambient effects and numerous sound effects sounded fantastic on my surround system. Universal Pictures have provided a fantastic track.

Supplements:

• Meet Eloise – this piece focuses on Thomasin McKenzie’s performance as Eloise in the film. 
• Dreaming of Sandie – this piece focuses on Anya Taylor-Joy’s performance as Sandie.
• Smoke and Mirrors – this is the best piece on the disc, because it shows how some of the movie magic in the film was crafted.
• On the Streets of Soho – This is a great piece on how the film was shot in Soho and used real locations whenever possible.
• Time Travelling – this focuses on the ways that the film tried to bring back the world of the Sixties through the music and other details.
• Deleted Scenes 
• Animatics – First Dream, Shadow Men, Murder, and Final Confrontation.
• Extras – Hair & Makeup Tests, Lighting & VFX Tests, Wide Angle Witness Cam, Acton Town Hall Steadicam Rehearsal, and Steadicam Alternative Take.
• Music Video – “Downtown” by Anya Taylor-Joy.
• Trailers
• Audio Commentary: With Director/Co-Writer Edgar Wright, Editor Paul Machliss, and Composer Steve Price.
• Audio Commentary: With Director/Co-Writer Edgar Wright and Co-Writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns.

Overall Scores:

Video: 4.75/5

Audio: 5/5

Supplements: 4.5/5

Overall – 4.75/5

Last Night in Soho is a brilliantly realized supernatural thriller from director-writer Edgar Wright. Working with cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung, Wright has crafted a lavish and beautifully rendered neon nightmare. The recreations of Soho in the Sixties are something to see. The film is very well cast with great performances from Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg (in her final performance,) and Terrence Stamp. There is so much to love about the film, and I will definitely revisit the film again in the near future. The Universal Pictures Blu-ray release looks and sounds fantastic, which makes me feel like I might need to purchase the UHD in the near future. The supplements are very well done with two commentary tracks and numerous featurettes on the production of the film. This release comes very highly recommended.