(2021) The Last Victim
SUSPENSE THRILLER
Co-produced, co-written and directed by Naveen A. Chathapuram that has Jake (Ralph Ineson) entering a diner in the middle of the night. He goes in there with two other people waiting for him outside. And only to see a single person, eating by himself we find out his name is Manny Randowski (Tom Stevens). The waitress/ cook of the diner asks Jake what he wants to eat and while she is cooking his food, more babbling occurs and Jake shoots and kill Manny before he kills the lady in the kitchen. Old guy hears this and he comes toward the diner guns a blazing successfully kills one person, injuring the other. Jake succeeds killing him as well. Jake's friend comes in through the door, we find out his name is Snoopy (Paul Belsito). Jake is barking orders to grab the bodies and stick them in the back of their pickup. And upon trying shut the back, he cuts off one of Manny's fingers off. The following morning has the sheriff, Herman Hickey (Ron Pearlman also credited as co- executive producer) notices the finger lying on the ground picks it up before he brings it inside the diner while the other deputy, Mindy Gaboon (Camille Legg) is taking photos. The next scene introduces a young couple of Susan Orden (Ali Larter) and her husband, Richard Orden (Tahmoh Penikett) and are on vacation. We are then introduced to brothers, Bull (Kyle Schmid) and Tad (Dakota Daulby) are practicing shooting at bottles and cans. And as we see what their social life is like, it was during then Jake and Snoopy shows up, and he asks Bull where they can dump the bodies. And Bull suggests them a good place to be is the nature reserve Yay Oola. That also happens to be one of the so called hot spots the couple of Susan and Richard happen to plan to visit. Once they find out it is closed, they decide to drive around the nature reserve anyway. And it is not long before Susan is on the run forcing her to fend for her herself.
This movie would have made a great experimental perhaps as a social commentary project but not as a two hour movie as the movie left viewers with more questions than answers. I mean, I do not mind ambiguity but not that much as this movie have shown, such as why did Jake shot and kill Manny in the first place? Was it about the money or was it about a former girlfriend he had lost to him? And in all places, why shoot and kill him in a diner when their may be other times to kill him. Viewers are obvious the connection of each character considering there isn't a large population. The social commentary occurs at the end but it is like too little too late.
