Last Night in Soho

Directed by Edgar Wright, Last Night in Soho follows aspiring fashion designer Eloise Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) as she begins experiencing elaborate visions involving a ’60s-era singer named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). It’s perhaps not surprising to discover that Wright, working from a script written with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, has infused Last Night in Soho with an eye-catching and thoroughly inventive sensibility that immediately captures the viewer’s interest and attention, and there’s little doubt, certainly, that the initially captivating atmosphere is heightened by the movie’s memorable soundtrack and raft of top-notch performances – with, in terms of the latter, McKenzie and Taylor-Joy’s superb efforts matched by such first-class periphery players as Matt Smith, Terence Stamp, and Diana Rigg. There’s little doubt, then, that Last Night in Soho‘s hold on the viewer is tested by a progressively hit-and-miss midsection containing a whole host of less-than-appealing elements, including an emphasis on Eloise’s investigation into Sandie’s fate and an ongoing is-it-real-or-is-it-just-in-Eloise’s-head vibe, which ensures that the picture isn’t, for much of its second half, even close to as engrossing or spellbinding as Wright has obviously intended. And although the movie closes with an exciting climactic stretch, Last Night in Soho has long-since cemented its place as a disappointingly erratic endeavor that admittedly might improve on repeat viewings (ie it might be easier to accept the meandering second act once it’s clear exactly what’s going on).

**1/2 out of ****

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