Noite Passada em Soho

This movie had me hooked from the beginning. The vibe of the neon, eerily upbeat 60s music, and intense cinematography, is unmatched. Acting was decent and the storyline unpredictable (at least to me). A well made movie that haunts, not scares.

Holy smoke what a waste! The actors are all talented, the art direction, sets, costumes, soundtrack are great.

But the second half of this is just the most juvenile simplistic and trope filled junk.

This is another covid era film that looks to be, due to delays, got over- tweeked to bad result.

What if Hitchcock an Dario Argento had a nephew that loved Agatha Christie novels? That's the premise of the film's aesthetics and I found especially the first half of the film to be really captivating. Anya Taylor Joy's first scene especially was really masterfully crafted. The leading actress was also impeccable.

Nevertheless as the film's story built up steam for a climax, the choice of a particularly ugly CGI and some pointless jump-scares started putting me off. The writing became over the top by the end, but at least it all made sense eventually. Thankfully it maintained a steady coolness, with great music and solid acting, and beautiful costumes and scenery. While the nonsense put off some of my "film buff" friends, I found it consistently entertaining, and a fun time at the movies.

I saw this at a late night screening, at Athens International Film Festival. The hour, the crowd and the vibe really helped the movie experience for me. I recommend it, if you don't get in with high expectations.

I understand what Edgar Wright tried to do, but I could not help but feel that this story would have been more intersting if it were less horror focused and more of a straightforward mystery with flashbacks.

From the writer-director of Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy comes a stylishly crafted, smartly photographed & skilfully acted psychological horror that's swirling with nostalgia & affection for the Swinging Sixties. Last Night in Soho attempts to capture the dangers of romanticising the past while showcasing the dark side of show business only to throw it all away in the end.

Co-written & directed by Edgar Wright (Scott Pilgrim & Baby Driver), the first hour is carried out rather well with steady build-up and deft juggling of drama & mystery but the story also falls flat once it enters the third & final act. The horror elements don't pack a thrilling punch either, offering nothing new or effective. As for the script, the writing is substandard at best and required more polish.

The camera also exhibits restraint in its manoeuvring which is unusual for a Wright film but that doesn't mean it's lacking creativity, for it still packs some neat techniques & ingenious tricks. Editing is inconsistent with the narrative flow & pacing while the music brims with 1960s flavours. Thomasin McKenzie & Anya Taylor-Joy contribute with splendid performances and are finely supported by the rest of the cast.

Overall, Last Night in Soho is visually striking and has no trouble whatsoever in transporting its viewers to a bygone era but it also runs out of ideas as it nears its conclusion and settles for an insipid ending. The film does impress in bits n pieces, especially with its neon-bathed visuals, meticulous production design & clever camerawork, but it doesn't amount to a lot in the end. In short, Edgar Wright's latest is amongst his weakest.