Last Night in Soho

We've all seen films centered on time travel, but what if that film is based on an individual who dreams in real time, but sees an unsolved murder from the 1960's? Well, you have the film, "Last Night in Soho" which chronicles a young English woman who, through dreams, is haunted about a murder that happened in the 1960's that is wrecking her world in real time.

In this psychological thriller, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960's through dreams where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something darker. Many people she knows including her mother, (Aimee Cassettari), a friend, John (Michael Ajao) and her boss, Carol (Pauline McLynn), attempt to allay her fears when she's in real time, but after a point, she starts seeing visions even when not sleeping. Will she unravel the mystery and get her life back?

Others to round out the cast are Matt Smith as Jack, Diana Rigg as Ms. Collins, Rita Tushingham as Peggy, Terence Stamp as Silver Haired Gentleman, Synnove Karlsen as Jocasta, Jessie Mel Li as Lara, Kassius Nelson as Cami, Rebecca Harrod as Ashley and Colin Mace as Taxi Driver #1.

This film was brilliantly directed by veteran Edgar Wright ("A Fistful of Fingers" '95, "Shaun of the Dead" '04, "Straight 8" (TV movie) '04, "Hot Fuzz" '07, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" '10, "The World's End" '13, "Baby Driver" '17, "The Sparks Brothers" (documentary) '21) plus TV, video shorts and shorts. Even though Wright doesn't have a plethora of experience in feature films, the quality of them is evident enough to call him a veteran. This film was delineated with such in-depth study of different characters, that it is amazing how he was able to bring these characters to life by the proper staging and pacing. If his brand of directing appeals to you, his "The Running Man" has been announced which he will direct and write. It was equally well written by Wright ("A Fistful of Fingers" '95, "Shaun of the Dead" '04, "Straight 8" (TV movie) '04, "Hot Fuzz" '07, "Spaced" (TV movie) '08, "Scott Pilgrim vs. the World" '10, "The Adventures of Tintin" '11, "The World's End" '13, "The Ant-Man" '15, "Baby Driver" '17) plus TV, video documentaries and shorts and Krysty Wilson-Cairns ("1917" '19) plus TV, shorts and a video, based on a story by Wright. As this film evolved from real time to the 1960's and then back again, and, at times, the two different time periods melded was not only effective, but was difficult if the writer isn't as seasoned as Wright. But since Wright is the consummate writer that he is, he was able to pull this off in spades. Wilson-Cairns certainly didn't have the lion's share of experience, but had pivotal input. Other than a couple of very small places of slowness, this script simply rocked. It seems at times that the storyline is slow and not adding up, however, be patient with this--this is intentional, because all of a sudden the story starts picking up and starts to congeal. 

If one can appreciate a suspenseful thriller, this will treat and be a riveting story to sink your teeth into. This film will keep you guessing, because the end you will not see coming! It's such a joy to see a film that is as original as this, which Wright is a consummate pro when writing. Why can't we see more films out there that aren't reboots, remakes, sequels, prequels, franchises, continuations and the like?

Out of 4 Stars: 3.5                                              Rated: R                                                         116mins.