Edgar Wright's 'Last Night In Soho' is a Psychedelic Trip Through London in the '60s

'Last Night In Soho' is a spectacular rollercoaster ride that leaves spectators with their jaws on the floor as '60s glamour and unmatched cinematography gracefully coincides with unsettling horror. Directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, the film couples an enthralling plot and consuming performances to create a shocking masterpiece.

Photo via IMDb

The psychological horror, starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, and Matt Smith, takes the audience on a trip to the swinging '60s, as fashion student Eloise (McKenzie) finds herself transported through time following an aspiring singer, Sandie (Taylor-Joy), who once lived in her room. While the dreams start as an alluring and harmless escape to the romance of 1960s London, they soon begin to creep into reality, becoming more and more sinister with every twist and turn.

From the beginning, the film feels very intimate in the approach to the portrayal of each character, especially Eloise, with foundations being laid for the audience to step into her mind and experience her dreams turn into nightmares. A slowly developing—but far from monotonous—film provides this intimacy between both the character and the viewer. If you're not typically inclined to watch slow burn type thrillers, it all becomes worth it with the killer costumes, choreography, and phenomenal soundtrack that bring Soho in the mid-'60s to life. It practically exudes mystique from the big screen.

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh, Focus Features

The cinematography tells the story in a haunting, psychedelic fashion, with spectators undergoing the same emotional trauma as Eloise. As her consciousness begins to alter, the neon hues, camera movement, and distortion add depth to the film. Time slips effortlessly between the past and present before they both collide in a seat gripping, eyes wide open murderous affair. You almost need to rewind and watch in slow motion to catch all of the excitement. Not only does it keep the audience on their toes, but it has them leaving the theatre in complete shock as they begin to process the 1 hour and 56 minutes of visually perplexing organized chaos.

Photo by Parisa Taghizadeh, Focus Features

What makes this type of movie fabulously riveting is the strong storyline, which 'Last Night In Soho' definitely didn't lack. Plot twists were dotted throughout and never failed to shock... And, not long after you think you've figured it out, the story warps once again. It was as if Edgar Wright wanted to give just enough clues to keep spectators on the edge of their seats, but keep most of it to himself until the last minute. Although this is a tricky tactic that can often result in impatient viewers walking out before reaching the end, it worked to his advantage, generating an astonished buzz from the theatre seats.

Without any exaggeration, Edgar Wright completely outdid himself on this one and, although it wasn't the scariest horror out there, it sure was the most beautifully dark trip to the '60s and back that's ever hit the movie theatre.