Last Night in Soho

Director: Edgar Wright Edgar Wright

Overview

While striving to make a name for herself in the world of fashion, a young woman named Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) inexplicably travels through time to experience the splendor and glitz of London in the 1960s. As she explores her newfound world, she crosses paths with Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy), an aspiring cabaret singer, in a startling way. However, the deeper Eloise plunges into this world, the more she begins to realize that something sinister lurks beneath its veneer. Written and directed by Edgar Wright. Jessie Mei Li and Diana Rigg co-star.

Product Details

Release Date:	01/18/2022
UPC:	0191329136928
Original Release:	2021
Source:	Universal Studios
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	39,508

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Thomasin McKenzie	Eloise
Anya Taylor-Joy	Sandie
Aimee Cassettari	Eloise's Mother(as Amieé Cassettari)
Rita Tushingham	Peggy
Colin Mace	Taxi Driver #1
Jessie Mei Li	Lara
Kassius Nelson	Cami
Rebecca Harrod	Ashley
Alan Mahon	Toucan Bartender
Connor Calland	Drunk Student
Pauline McLynn	Carol
Josh Zaré	Student at Party
Terence Stamp	Silver Haired Gentleman
Jacqui-Lee Pryce	College Administrator
Elizabeth Berrington	Ms Tobin
Diana Rigg	Ms Collins
James Phelps	Cloakroom Attendant,Cloakroom Attendant
Beth Singh	Cilla Black
Paul Brightwell	Cubby
Will Rogers	Café de Paris Bartender
Matt Smith	Jack
Terence Frisch	Rialto Club Owner
Celeste Dring	Shop Assistant
Jeanie Wishes	Marionetta
Andrew Bicknell	Mr. Pointer
Adam Sopp	Toucan Drunk
Synnøve Karlsen	Jocasta(as Synnøve Karlsen)
Michael Ajao	Actor
Richard Corgan	Toucan Drunk's Mate
Michael Mears	Punter #1
Tom Hartwell	Punter #2
Paul Hamilton	Punter #3
Wayne Cater	Punter #4
Sam Parks	Punter #6
Alan Ruscoe	Punter #7
Margaret Nolan	Sage Barmaid
Michael Jibson	Male Detective
Lisa McGrillis	Female Detective
Al Roberts	Librarian
Derek Lea	Taxi Driver #2
Jennifer White	Choreographer
Melissa Fox	Rialto Dancer
Jodie Hassell	Rialto Dancer
Stephanie Lamey	Rialto Dancer
Amy Andrea	Rialto Dancer
Alison Parsons	Rialto Dancer
Ashley Shaw	Rialto Dancer
Steven Price	Composer

Technical Credits

Edgar Wright

Krysty Wilson-Cairns

Edgar Wright	Screenwriter,Director,Producer
Krysty Wilson-Cairns	Screenwriter
James Biddle	Executive Producer
Ollie Madden	Executive Producer
Tim Bevan	Producer
Eric Fellner	Producer
Nira Park	Producer
Laura Richardson	Producer
Jeremy Price	Sound/Sound Designer
Ben Meechan	Sound/Sound Designer
Nina Gold	Casting
Martin Ware	Casting

Editorial Reviews

Writer/Director Edgar Wright (Baby Driver) teams up with screenwriter Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917) to present the surrealistic horror/thriller, Last Night in Soho. The story is solid and interesting, but some issues with the script cause confusion that lessens the experience. Eloise "Ellie" Turner (Thomasin McKenzie), a young, slightly clairvoyant girl from the English countryside who adores the 1960s, has just been accepted to fashion design school in London. When she arrives, she discovers London isn't quite what she hoped, especially dorm and college life. So Ellie sets out on her own, renting a room and living alone to pursue her studies away from the wild ways of her dorm mates. But she soon starts having dreams of being Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), a budding singer in 1960s London. At first, she revels in these visions and lets them inspire her designs. But like her first experiences in London, these soon become horrific nightmares. Ellie believes there is more to these than fantasy and must solve the mystery to keep her sanity and life. When the writer is also the director, audiences are often treated to a well-rounded film since there is no conflict between script and directorial visions. But once in a while, this creates a problem when the director-as-writer knows things but doesn't thoroughly convey that information. This is the case with Last Night in Soho. There isn't enough exposition about certain things to make the story cohesive, especially Ellie's supernatural abilities. A few simple lines early on would have made the story less muddied without giving too much away. Also, some events trail nowhere, leaving the viewer wondering what the point was. Still, the concept is interesting and is, aside from these issues, well-told and entertaining. McKenzie excels in her performance as the naive Turner. Her progression from country girl to a young Londoner is both believable and fluid. Taylor-Joy's skill as the dream version of Ellie complements McKenzie perfectly. In her final performance, Diana Rigg is terrific as Ms. Collins, the landlady who takes Ellie in. Terence Stamp's mysterious, smarmy barfly channels his prior role as General Zod - albeit a retired version. From a technical standpoint, Last Night in Soho is lush and beautiful, particularly in the dream sequences. The 1960s are recreated - both good and bad - in minute detail. The cinematography captures the transitions from dream to reality smoothly. There is very clever usage of mirrors and mirror imagery throughout. Unfortunately, the camera sweeps too quickly on a couple of occasions, creating a blur at inappropriate times. The film's soundtrack songs, composed primarily of 1960s hits and misses, are carefully selected for the moments they play, keeping the story moving along nicely. Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho isn't a perfect film. Still, his ability to capture imperfect, relatable people remains as strong here as in any of his other efforts. He again proves that, while his roots are in comedic films, he works equally well in drama. It is likely audiences haven't seen the last of him in either genre.