This Last Night in Soho review contains no SPOILERS at all.
It's undeniable that 2021 has a myriad of cool films that are highly anticipated. Apart from of course (as usual) the superhero film troupe from Marvel and DC. This year also featured films such as: Dune , Nomadland , Tom & Jerry , Raya and the Last Dragon , Mortal Kombat , Cruella , and so on.
The point is, once again, there are so many films that are anticipated in 2021. But of all that, for me personally and some fans of the genius filmmaker, Edgar Wright ( Baby Driver ), it is this film that is the number 1 most anticipated film.
Even some who are not Edgar fans , have been anticipating the film since watching the trailer . Because once this film sells Edgar Wright's name and also, it has a very interesting mysterious premise.
Based on that statement, once again it's not an exaggeration if I've been really impatient for the past few months to watch Last Night in Soho . What's more, yes, I am also a lover of things that smelled of England in the 60s.
Oh yeah one more thing, this film features two talented young actresses today, Thomasin McKenzie ( Jojo Rabbit ) and the always consistent, Anya-Taylor Joy ( Split, The Witch, The New Mutants ).
So has the anticipation that has been built up over these months successfully paid off so sweetly? Just take a look at the following Last Night in Soho review .
All Mysterious and Curious
Of course, like other Dafunda reviews , we will start the discussion by discussing the plot of the story again. Yes, who knows, some of you are not aware of the existence of this film.
However, for this review of Last Night in Soho , it is more or less the same as the discussion of the plot in James Wan's review of the horror film, Malignant . Or in other words, I will only give the core plot of the film. And I won't prolong the plot any longer.
Because like Malignant , the story in Last Night in Soho is full of various mysteries that keep us curious. So yes, to make it more "kick", it's a good idea to just experience the entire film. Guaranteed you will feel at home, fun, and really surprised when you see it.
Chasing Dreams in the City of London
So with this statement, the essence of the Last Night in Soho plot is that the film is set in two timelines : the present (2021) and the past (60s).
However, the opening scene of the film is set in the present and focuses on a beautiful British girl named Eloise Turner or who is fondly called Ellie (McKenzie). He is a person who is very obsessed with fashion , music and various things from the 60s decade.
Well, he has also long been obsessed (aspiring) to be a famous fashion designer. As a result, he also always dreamed of being able to attend the London College of Fashion . And his dream came true. Ellie immediately left for London.
Time-Travel Into the 1960s Decade
So when he got there, he lived with students who lived in his school's dormitory. Unfortunately, just on the first day, he was already having trouble getting along with his friends. It is known that he is essentially a child from the English village.
As a result, he also lives in a residential building that is rented out (the term in his country, is bedsit ). Well, just on her first night, suddenly Ellie and us as the audience were surprised to find out that she could time travel to the 60s decade.
What a surprise again when he saw how glamorous his temporary residence had been this decade. The surrounding buildings in this decade are still nightclubs, and other entertainment venues.
He also then meets a beautiful girl who becomes a potential singer in one of his clubs, Sandie (Taylor-Joy). Now, after meeting Sandie, Ellie's life in the current era immediately changed drastically.
Change drastically like how? Then, how did Ellie get to do time-travel ? And who exactly is this Sandie figure?
The Long Wait That Pays Very Sweetly
Now to find out all these mysteries, as I said at the beginning, let's just watch the film at our favorite cinema. And yes, I can really emphasize that Last Night in Soho MUST be watched in cinemas.
Because apart from being much more satisfied knowing what really happened to the film, basically, this film is one of the best films of 2021. Even for me personally, The Medium still loses. Even though in my review of the Thai horror film, I also said that the film is the best film of 2021.
But yep, as cool as it is and as hype as The Medium is , The Last Night in Soho far surpasses all of them. Whether it's from visuals, story concepts, direction, cinematography, and of course the soundtrack .
In essence, our long wait for Last Night in Soho really feels very satisfying. I even wanted to go to the cinema again to watch the film for the second or even fifth time.
Edgar Wright Director Genius This Modern Era
And the impression of the coolness of this film, of course, cannot be separated from the cold hands of the director and also the creator of this film, Edgar Wright.
Honestly, since watching Shaun of the Dead (2004) and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010), I feel very impressed with Edgar's directing style which is very genius, innovative, and very fresh.
I fell in love even more when I watched one of his most commercially successful films, Baby Driver (2017). Because in the film, Wright successfully showed his musical side. Specifically, he is very genius in mixing and matching every scene and every movement made by his character with the choice of songs that become the soundtrack .
And furthermore, the entire collection of songs that he chose to be the soundtrack of the film were all delicious. Well, we can see the same thing through Last Night in Soho . All of the '60s hits featured, including Petula Clark's 'Downtown' , also fit well with the scene.
In fact, the songs, increasingly provide a significant dramatic effect on both the character development and the entire film. Yes, the point is once again, if you have watched the aforementioned Edgar Wright films, you will understand.
Very Gokil Colorful Cinematography
Besides being smart in presenting a plot that is made unique and different, as well as combining scenes with the song, a prominent feature of many Edgar Wright films, is the way he captures scene by scene very beautifully.
As a result, it presents us with scenes whose cinematography looks very beautiful. Especially in this Last Night in Soho . Yes, if you've seen the trailer and also screenshot photos that show Password in 3 RGB colors ( Red, Green, Blue ), you know that.
And one more. Although the film is set in the 60s decade, the appearance is made as colorful as possible. But of course, it doesn't take away the classic 60s feel .
Anyway, when we watched it, we really wanted to go to Soho or Goodge Street, which are the two main locations of the film.
A collection of 60s songs that are fun and really fit
As mentioned earlier in the paragraph discussing Edgar's directing in this film, music is a very important part of the film. The whole song and the scene feels very coherent.
And of course it is also influenced by the choice of the songs are very gokil. Anyway, if you are like me, who is a lover of music culture in the 60s, you will immediately like and know the songs that are presented.
In addition to 'Downtown' which is the main soundtrack of the film, this film also features cool songs such as: