Following its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, the first reviews for Edgar Wright’s new psychological thriller Last Night in Soho have begun to trickle in. Co-written by 1917’s Krysty Wilson-Cairns, the film stars Thomasin McKenzie as aspiring fashion designer Eloise who finds out she has the ability to transport herself back to 1960s London in the body of her idol, wannabe singer Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). However, Eloise quickly learns that glitz and glamor of the 1960s are not all they seem, and the past and present begin to intersect in dark and horrifying ways.
Set to premiere on October 29, after numerous delays as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Last Night in Soho is first making a tour of various film festivals including Venice, Toronto, and Strasbourg European Fantastic Film Festival. The film marks Wright’s seventh feature, and his first since 2017’s Baby Driver. The director is known for his creativity and versatility working across various genres, and often creating pastiches of them as he does so. However, Last Night in Soho marks his first true psychological thriller, and many have been curious to see whether the director can deliver.
The first reviews have begun appearing online since Last Night in Soho’s premiere last night. At the time of writing, the film holds a 73% rating on Rotten Tomatoes across 15 reviews. The majority are positive, praising both Wright’s technical filmmaking prowess and homage to the 1960s, as well as the performances of both McKenzie and Taylor-Joy. However, others have been less positive, criticizing the pacing and narrative structure as severely holding the film back. Check out what the critics have to say below:
Robbie Collin, The Telegraph
“Wright is both a gifted stylist and master technician, and Soho moves as smoothly as a Maglev train, gliding on an invisible cushion of its own meticulous craft”
Nicholas Barber, Indiewire
“Not all of the jokes are brand new, and not all of the plotting stands up to inspection, but the skill with which Wright navigates between tones and time periods is exceptional.”
Glenn Kenny, Roger Ebert
“I fell hard for “Last Night in Soho.” It’s an estimable, genuine horror movie that also manages to say something real—without trying to “elevate” the genre.”
Jason Solomons, The Wrap
“Mixing glorious pastiche and gory ghost story, director Edgar Wright’s “Last Night in Soho” will stand as one of the best London movies of the new decade.”
Xan Brooks, The Guardian
“Wright’s film is corny and slight, like a three-minute pop song, which means that it’s corny and slight in the most pleasurable sense; fuelled by a shrill adolescent longing and building towards a big breakthrough or a wanton collapse, whichever strikes its fancy when the final verse comes along.”
David Rooney, THR
“Last Night in Soho is an immensely pleasurable film that delights in playing with genre, morphing from time-travel fantasy to dark fairy tale, from mystery to nightmarish horror in a climax that owes as much to ’60s Brit fright fare as to more contemporary mind-benders.”
Geoffrey Macnab, The Independent
“This is an uneven film with an awkward, cumbersome narrative structure. It is hard not to wish Wright had made an entire film set in the Soho of the Sixties rather than one that pays tribute to it through the prism of the present day.”
David Jenkins, Little White Lies
“The film is at its best when holding back details and sculpting fine character details, but the intensity is ramped up far too early and it becomes increasingly tough to take the plot seriously, or build an emotional connection with its climactic revelations.”
Guy Lodge, Variety
“Last Night in Soho is a surprising misfire, all the more disappointing for being made with such palpable care and conviction.”
One of the main points of disagreement among critics appears to be Wright’s frequent references to the 1960s. As noted, such things are often a trademark aspect of Wright’s filmmaking style, so it’s interesting to hear that things are potentially taken too far here. Still, even the more negative reviews have praised Last Night in Soho’s technical qualities, suggesting that a great deal of competence underlies what is perhaps otherwise a film that stumbles in its pacing.
Regardless, it certainly seems as though Last Night in Soho will satisfy the director’s most ardent fans. The consensus is mostly positive, though, and while the film maybe isn’t for everyone, this perception could change drastically as it makes the rounds at other film festivals in the coming weeks. It’s also possible that the public perception will be radically different to the critical one, and with Last Night in Soho‘s wide release still several weeks away, fans will just have to wait a bit longer to craft their own opinions on the film.
Key Release Dates
Last Night in Soho
Release Date:2021-10-29
