The Last Girl

Having seen the movie, these titles of "The Last Girl" or "Cult Killer" (having two is not a good sign) seem absurd and are no doubt part of the reason why some reviewers give such low ratings, as their expectations were not met by reading too much into them.

Something like "Revenge of the Abused" or "The Playhouse" would have been far more suitable.

Overall the movie held my attention as it had an unusual enough premise and I wanted to see how it concluded. It could have been more of a thriller, but lacked enough plot twists and reveals for that, which is not to say there were nonesuch.

There wasn't much by way of suspense, either, as you find out too much for that too soon, and the story becomes much more of a procedural. Indeed, it struck me that this could have been a feature-length pilot for a TV series about a female (English?) private investigator and recovering alcoholic, in Ireland, who sometimes works alongside the police (Garda). However I think the marketing may have screwed it up too much for anything like that. You certainly wouldn't expect Banderas or Eve in something like that. So it seems to have come across that way perhaps more by accident than design.

Alice Eve acquits herself fairly well, and you can certainly see how her character comes to identify with the killer she is pursuing (and vice-versa), but her 'badass' scenes and the character depth she provides are undone by the couple of scenes where she comes across as a genteel English Rose, especially at the end (Oh no!"), which stood out all the more in a movie with some brutal and bloody scenes, some of which her character was involved in. This left me wondering if she was not the first choice for the role, but they couldn't afford e.g. Kate Beckinsale. She just seems slightly miscast, or perhaps the best they could get for it and ultimately, despite some aspects of her performance, as not quite right for the role, at least in hindsight.

Hennig is very good in her role opposite Eve; her character was completely on-point, but the acting honours in this one go to Banderas, who is excellent as the mentor to Eve's character.

I was split between rating it 6/7 (13/20 perhaps?) and eventually decided to go down rather than up. Probably not a movie you would go out of your way for, but it's watchable if you do - so long as your expectations are not based on the appalingly given titles.

The movie just looks poorly made. Odd extras that perform below amateur level. Some simply look like they have never done any acting in their life.

Character actions feel rushed and quite unnatural. Like picking the lock like no one ever would, or doing covert operation like a bunch of students who are lost in the mall. As mentioned beforehand, many things are done on amateur level.

Movie also gave me a feeling that it tries to be Ozark, whether its a camera work, or a background theme. A tall tree to climb.

To be fair, Eve and Banderas do their best, but it is a mystery to me who convinced them to participate in this endeavor.

It's not horrible, but I wouldn't pay to see it.

I thought Antonio Banderas would be the silver lining in this cinematic trainwreck, but oh boy, was I wrong! Cult Killer is so atrocious, even Banderas's dashing presence can't rescue it from the depths of awfulness. I mean, it's like watching a car crash in slow motion while being forced to listen to elevator music. "I swear, Cult Killer is like a bad joke that just won't end. The plot is more convoluted than a Gordian knot, the acting is wooden enough to build a forest, and don't even get me started on the dialogue - it's cringier than a teenager's first Instagram selfie. Even Banderas, bless his heart, looks like he's trying to escape the movie's clutches like a cat trying to flee a bathtub.

Save yourself, folks, and avoid this disaster at all costs! 🚫🎥 #CultKiller #BanderasBomb.

The idea and concept of the movie are noteworthy, but the overall execution leaves a certain amount of disappointment.

The film strives to be tense and keep the viewer in constant suspense, but does not always achieve this due to uneven plotting and episodes that sometimes drag on.

Nevertheless, the film has some interesting moments and stylish visuals that give it a certain uniqueness.

The film does not lose its charm, although its realization could have been stronger.

Cult Killer is a movie worth watching if you are ready for an experimental approach and are not afraid of some flaws.

6/10.

I dare to say that Cult Killer will never be considered anything near the league of cult movies; instead, it will quickly be forgotten and fall into the void of total oblivion - and rightfully so. The production is okay, the cast is okayish too, but the story is, well, I can't put it better than a fellow reviewer did: it beats staring at the wallpaper. One could rightfully argue that there are more interesting and captivating wallpapers around that surpass Cult Killer's entertainment value, but I don't want to be too petty on the issue. What you get are super tough ladies (like in almost every movie these days) and a plot on auto-pilot. Verdict: only recommended if you have an ultra-boring wallpaper on your walls and not the ambition to change that fact and watch rather some redundant flick instead.