Last Night in Soho ★★★★★

Edgar Wright

Starring Thomasin McKenzie, Anya Taylor-Joy, Matt Smith, Diana Rigg, Terence Stamp

As the nights get darker and the air gets colder, it’s that time of year when many lean towards the thriller and horror genre of movies to withstand the ultimate autumn atmosphere.

Enter Last Night in Soho.

Director Edgar Wright set the scene perfectly with his latest work. The tale introduces us to aspiring fashion designer Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) who has peculiar encounters with a dazzling wannabe performer Sandy (Anya Taylor-Joy) in 1960s Soho.

The introductory glitz and glamour is truly mesmerising, with spotless performances from the two leading ladies and effortless editing between the two time periods.

The music (Steven Price), costume and all-round cinematography (Chung-hoon Chung) was nothing but reflective of both the London lifestyles. It was a refreshing way to open a film labelled as a psychological horror, but fans of Wright’s work would have expected nothing less. After a fast paced build up of momentum for Eloise and Sandy, it would be fair to say the film doesn’t showcase the true conventions of a horror from start to finish.

The platonic yet desirable relationship built between the leads in the first half conflicts with the horror conventions in the second half, making it a less predictable plot.

Last Night in Soho also brings some memorable performances from Matt Smith (Jack), Synnove Karlsen (Jocasta) and the always brilliant Dame Diana Rigg in her final film role.

From laughter and desire to shock and trepidation, this tale is a must see this autumn. It’s perfect for any sceptical horror viewers, yet remains true to that atmosphere so many look for during the ‘spooky’ season.

Last Night in Soho available in cinemas now