Last Call

I can't believe how well the director was able to sync the performances by the two lead characters. This certainly is a difficult task that should be celebrated! Great story and great performances by both main actors. Can't wait to see more from the director.

Last Call is a drama from Gavin Michael Booth presented in a split-screen format over real time across two long takes shot simultaneously. It's certainly a method of presentation I've never witnessed for an entire feature before and it's one I won't forget in a hurry. Last Call tells the story of Scott (Daved Wilkins), a bitterly alone man, who phones the suicide prevention hotline one night and ends up, through a misdial, speaking with Beth (Sarah Booth), a janitor of a local community college.

Last Call deals with such a sensitive subject matter such as suicide in an incredibly emotional and respectful manner, Gavin Michael Booth and Daved Wilkins writing a narrative that slowly reveals more to the audience and in doing so becomes more heart-breaking with each passing minute.

It's an ambitious film in its execution, Seth Wessel-Estes' cinematography a great asset to the film, keeping the audience with these two characters as they go through a phone call taht will change their lives. It took me a while to take to the split-screen approach but once I did I was captivated with the entire thing and how it would unfold. Adrian Ellis' score also adds another layer of emotion to proceedings.

At the forefront of Last Call lies to contrasting yet equally as impressive performances from Sarah Booth and Daved Wilkins. Booth in particular has the more demanding role and she showcases a fantastic range of emotions throughout, making her a character to reallt get behind. That doesn't mean Wilkins just sits back and lets Booth do all the work because there is much more to his performance than just sounding depressed, leading to Scott becoming a character you don't want to see any harm come to.

Sadly, many people take their own lives each year so raising awareness by any means necessary is important. Last Call is an incredibly relevant film for this reason and one that you should seek out.

Filmed in 2 simultaneous one-shot takes, Last Call tells the story of a depressed drunk man who, on the anniversary of his son's death, mistakenly calls a community college when trying to talk to someone from the suicide hotline. The call is picked up by the night cleaner, who is a single mother who is awaiting a call to make sure her child is ok.

The film shows both people simultaneously, in real-time as this life-changing phonecall unfolds.

This film is a beautiful piece of work that really shows that people can make a difference and that sometimes if you show you care, just for a moment, you could change a life...maybe even save it.

I thought this was quite emotional, and the message stays with you. It's nice to be nice, it really is.

From the art style and the lack of fanfare (I had to put the year in to even find the right movie on IMDb) I was expecting the typical low budget, high concept offering with a bit of promise, using amateurish actors to create an ok movie, that's ultimately instantly forgettable. THIS MOVIE IS NOT THAT.

The one take aesthetic and split screen cinematography works just perfectly to convey the urgency of a serendipitous conversation between a woman in the right/wrong place and a man with nowhere left to turn. The acting from Sarah Booth in particular is astonishing (never seen her in anything before this), the dialogue is realistic and the soundtrack fits the mood just right.

I've never seen anything like it, the closest I can think of right now is Locke with Tom Hardy, but this movie is so much better and more heartfelt than that. I'll be recommending it to everyone I know. 9/10. (And no I'm not a paid reviewer or have anything to do with the production, look at my other reviews!)

At a time where movies are so predictable, this movie breaks that barrier with this amazing continuous shot with a split screen. Your eyes can't stay off the screen because it's so gripping and poignant. Sarah Booth brings an emotional intensity that is so raw it's beautiful (but also painful) because she makes you feel every moment and every word she says. What a refreshing take on filming with a very real message that doesn't placate to the audience but just lays out a real and authentic story.