Last Night in Soho (2021)

Last Night in Soho is a horror movie, surprisingly. It's also directed by Edgar Wright. Is this a dream? Someone, please make sense to me how this got made.

Written and directed by Edgar Wright, Soho is about a fashion designer who without spoiling the film starts to uncover a murder mystery from the 1960s and has to make sense of it all. It has everything you want from Wright's transitions and self-references but missing the comedy of his previous films. I feel like this movie was made on a dare much in the same way American Graffiti was made.

Thomasin McKenzie has really developed as an actress both in her ability to convey emotion but also with how she loses herself in the role. The last time I saw her was in Jojo Rabbit and True History of the Kelly Gang and I look forward to The Power of the Dog later this year. She plays the main character and does a wonderful job with her accent too. I can't go into detail about what happens to her without spoiling the film but she's certainly an actress to be on the lookout for from now on and carries this film. It would not be the same without her.

Anya Taylor-Joy has been great in so many films that it's easy to see her in this role as a 1960's aspiring singer. You might know her from The Queen's Gambit, but I know her from The Witch and Split. She's been in so much and yet she's so young and people don't give her enough credit. I can't wait to see her take on the role of Furiosa.

The film has a lot of themes and in a way is a feminist movie but written and directed by a man. The character does things that fly in the face of what a man would do in the same situation which might be the help from the screenplay writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns and I'm curious how much she changed from Wright's original story. That might sound scary calling this horror film a feminist movie but it's not in your face or shaming the audience in a way that many other films have in recent history. I'm looking at you Birds of Prey. It takes a tactful approach towards handling the mistreatment of women, especially in 1960's London.

There's no other film like it to compare it to and my closest feelings on it lie somewhere between Red Sparrow (2018) and Ex Machina (2015) both of which earned an A- in my book. I can say this is a great film with only one minor flaw in the convoluted way the movie ended.

Comments

Wuthering Heights (2026)

Wuthering Heights is directed by Emerald Fennell , known for Promising Young Woman and Saltburn , and opens with a striking image that immediately signals this will not be a conventional adaptation of the classic novel. The film remains faithful to several of the book's narrative choices, particularly in how it lingers on the characters' early years before fully embracing the central tragedy. While this approach accurately reflects the source material, the pacing occasionally suffers, with several montages and extended childhood sequences lasting longer than necessary. One element that works especially well is the portrayal of Catherine and Heathcliff's adoptive father, whose volatile temper contrasts sharply with the affection he shows the two children, echoing one of the novel's stronger character dynamics. Margot Robbie , known for Barbie and I, Tonya , delivers one of the strongest performances of her career as Catherine. She captures the character's passio...

Voicemails for Isabelle (2026)

Voicemails for Isabelle is written and directed by Leah McKendrick , whose previous acting work included a small role in I Know What You Did Last Summer . Here she steps behind the camera with a romantic comedy that aims to balance humor and modern relationships, but the screenplay struggles under the weight of uneven characterization. Much of the dialogue comes across as forced, and the humor often leans into exaggerated "girl boss" moments that quickly become repetitive. The biggest weakness is that nearly every male character, with one exception, is written as either incompetent or one-dimensional, leaving the story feeling less like a balanced romantic comedy and more like a collection of caricatures. As a result, the central romance never develops the emotional foundation it needs. Zoey Deutch , known for Set It Up and Zombieland: Double Tap , plays Jill and gives an energetic performance, but the screenplay works against her. The character is repeatedly described as...

Citizen Vigilante (2026)

Citizen Vigilante is written and directed by Uwe Boll , a filmmaker whose work has always been divisive, and this film continues that trend. The movie tackles issues surrounding immigration, social tensions, and public frustration, themes that have been prominent throughout the decade. Surprisingly, the film often approaches these subjects from a perspective that many viewers may not expect from a major studio release. While the political themes are front and center, the larger issue is that the writing struggles to make the world and its characters feel believable. Conversations often lack the natural reactions people would have in real life, particularly younger characters who accept lectures and speeches with very little resistance or personality. Armie Hammer , known for The Social Network and The Man from U.N.C.L.E. , plays the vigilante and spends much of the film using a gravelly, Batman-inspired voice. He commits fully to the role, and his physical presence works well for th...

Movies, Film, and Chili

Search This Blog