After countless delays due to the pandemic, Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho finally had its global premiere at the Venice International Film Festival and is nearing its theatrical release. Opening up with rave reviews from critics, it looks like audiences are in for a thrilling, bizarre ride.
Last Night in Soho is a psychological horror film from Universal Pictures that takes place in 1960's London and centers around a young woman named Eloise, who has a passion for fashion design and is mysteriously transported back in time in the body of her idol, a singer named Sandy. Everything starts off well, but Eloise soon begins to realize the dire consequences that await. Originally planned for a September 5, 2020 release date, the film was then pushed back to April 23, 2021, before being delayed again to October 22, 2021, and once more to the following weekend on October 29, 2021.
Like many other highly anticipated films premiering at the festival (Dune also garnering much critical acclaim), Last Night in Soho opened with rave reviews from critics, receiving a five-minute standing ovation once the film was over. Much of the praise went to script, the performances, and Wright's risky direction of exploring new territory in his filmmaking. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film is currently fresh with a 76% from 25 reviews while on Metacritic, the film has a score of 74 based on 13 reviews.
Wright is no stranger to making incredibly engaging films in various genres. Whether that'd be his Cornetto Trilogy (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and The World's End), Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, or Baby Driver, he is able to dabble in a new genre (horror) while still incorporating his own style and visual flair to it all. It's no surprise he is able to produce yet another original story with fully realized characters that should have fans captivated from beginning to end. More initial reactions are below.
Discussing Film (Ben Rolph):
"Last Night in Soho manages to continuously raise the bar for this storyteller. Wright's latest is a beguiling, yet haunting ode to the swinging and vibrant streets of 1960s London. Also, It must be mentioned that the film opens with what might be the best scene of the year, it’s unforgettably excellent. Likewise, Last Night in Soho‘s mysterious connection between the past and present is acely executed. On its own, this tale is undeniably fascinating."
Score: 5/5
Daily Telegraph (UK) ( Robbie Collin):
"Wright is both a gifted stylist and master technician, and Soho moves as smoothly as a Maglev train, gliding on an invisible cushion of its own meticulous craft."
Score: 4/5
The Hollywood Reporter (David Rooney):
"Last Night in Soho is an immensely pleasurable film that delights in playing with genre, morphing from time-travel fantasy to dark fairy tale, from mystery to nightmarish horror in a climax that owes as much to ’60s Brit fright fare as to more contemporary mind-benders. None of this would work, however, without two absolutely compelling leads, playing flip-side personalities whose parallel vulnerabilities ultimately collide."
Score: Unscored
Screen International (Wendy Ide):
"Last Night In Soho is the kind of good time which isn’t over until someone’s either crying or bleeding. And oh, how we’ve all missed those nights!... [A] riotously entertaining thriller."
Score: Unscored
Total Film (Neil Smith):
"A lot of thrilling, dazzling, sometimes frightening fun... Production design (Marcus Rowland), cinematography (Chung-hoon Chung), score (Steven Price), and costumes (Odile Dicks-Mireaux) combine seamlessly to bolster a picture that, as one expects from Wright, also boasts a killer vintage soundtrack. And if the darker second half of the narrative depends on some overly familiar, woman-in-peril horror tropes, it’s a small price to pay for a piece that offers such intoxicating entertainment to the viewer."
Score: 4/5
There's no doubt Wright's Last Night in Soho will add to the list of great modern-day horror films and provide fans with a movie that is wildly unexpected and original, just like the director himself. The talented cast for the film features Anya Taylor-Joy (Netflix's The Queen's Gambit) as Sandy, Thomasin Mckenzie (Jojo Rabbit) as Eloise, Matt Smith (Doctor Who) as Jack, and Terence Stamp (1978's Superman) as an older Jack. Wright wrote the film along with co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917).
Last Night in Soho will hit theatres on October 29, 2021.
Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Metacritic