Carolyn Jenkins is a voracious consumer of film and television. She graduated from Long Island University with an MFA in Screenwriting and Producing where she learned the art of character, plot, and structure. The best teacher is absorbing media and she spends her time reading about different worlds from teen angst to the universe of Stephen King.
For the past two decades, Edgar Wright has forged a comfortable niche with his tightly edited, stylized films. His collaboration with Simon Pegg in the fan-favorite Cornetto Trilogy became a calling card before he widened his horizons with films like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Baby Driver. All were united by their immersion in music, and even when Wright took his biggest swing yet, that element remained.
Last Night in Soho was a surprising turn for the director, but it did not disappoint. Wright took a crack at supernatural horror in the 2021 film starring Anya Taylor-Joy. Fans who worried it wouldn’t pack the same punch were wrong. Wright took the idea of a simpler time and cut it off at the knees. The film celebrates the pop culture of the ‘60s, but quickly makes it clear that the era wasn't simpler or better, but a terrifying time when the horrors persisted.
Anya Taylor-Joy Was the Emotional Center of ‘Last Night in Soho’
Anya Taylor-Joy’s connection to genre films stretches back to her feature film debut in the still widely regarded folk horror film The Witch. In recent years, the actor has switched it up, but her performance in Last Night in Soho was a return to form. The film follows young Ellie (Thomasin McKenzie), who strives to be a fashion designer in modern London. Her love for the music and fashion of the ‘60s connects her to the restless spirit of Sandie (Taylor-Joy), who, like Ellie, aspired to a career in the arts in her day.
When Ellie starts seeing visions of Sandie and experiences her life through her eyes, it has horrifying consequences. She discovers that while Sandie attempted to become a performer, she fell under the spell of a manager, Jack (Matt Smith), who exploited her to other men. Last Night in Soho is more ambitious than any of Wright’s thrilling films, relying more on the performances than his trademark humor. The closer Ellie gets to what happened to Sandie, the murkier the truth becomes. The plot makes a sharp turn in the final act, revealing that Sandie is not a damsel in distress but a proactive character who takes her fate into her own hands. This could have been too dramatic a turn if it weren’t for Taylor-Joy’s grounding performance.
Sandie encourages viewers to fall in love with her and empathize with her situation. A character with big dreams, Sandie encounters nothing but disappointment until she is pushed to her limit. While she commits crimes herself, there is no doubt about her motivations. Taylor-Joy grounds the psychological horror film in a sense of reality, despite the supernatural elements. Sandie hovers between the archetypes of ingénue and villain, creating a more ambiguous takeaway to the end of the film. Last Night in Soho is a story that invites viewers to discuss and is held together by the emotional heart of Taylor-Joy’s role.
Image via Romuald Meigneux/Starface Photo/Cover Images
English (US) ·