Last Night in Soho

Edgar Wright takes the audience on a journey back and forth from present day to the swinging sixties in this wonderful psychological thriller. Due to Eloise’s ( Thomasin McKenzie )  upbringing by her grandmother ( Rita Tushingham ) she is obsessed with the 1960’s fashion and music. After being accepted onto a fashion course at a leading London college, Eloise moves into student accommodation and shares a room with another girl on the same course. Unfortunately the two girls are polar opposites and Eloise quickly relocates to a bedsit on Goodge Street in the heart of London. The landlady Miss Collins ( Diana Rigg ) welcomes her to the property with the house rules that include no male visitors. From this position in the heart of London Eloise manages to secure a part time job and has easy access to vintage dress shops and local landmarks.  However from early on we are shown that Eloise has a form of psychic gift or illness that allows her to see and communicate with her dead mother. This affliction becomes even more stronger once Eloise has settled into the bedsit. After she retires to bed Eloise is almost immediately transported back in time to sixties London and becomes a character called Alex who changes her name to Sandy. Sandy ( Anna Taylor-Joy ) has also just arrived in London looking for fame. A talented singer, blonde,  beautiful and full of confidence, Sandy transports Eloise to the nightclub scene of Swinging London where she encounters sixties star Cilla Black performing in front of an audience. Jack ( Matt Smith ) a handsome, playboy talent manager spots Sandy and the two quickly form a relationship. However as the evening draws to a close and Sandy and Jack passionately embrace, Eloise is abruptly awoken by her alarm and is back in her own bed. Initially what was perceived as just a dream becomes more unnerving when it is pointed out to Eloise at college that she has a love bite on her neck. Each evening Eloise is transported back in time as both observer of Sandy and Sandy herself. As Eloise becomes more obsessed with sixties London  and the fun loving Sandy, Eloise in the present day, begins to change her look and style to copy that of Sandy. The toxic relationship of Sandy and Jack intensifies as Eloise discovers Jack wasn't a talent agent but only looking to recruit another girl into prostitution. As the seedier and more dark side of Soho London in the 1960’s begins to emerge, Eloise finds herself embroiled in a nightmare that threatens both her sanity and life. Anna Taylor-Joy is outstanding especially during the audition and earlier nightclub scenes. The soundtrack is littered with 1960’s classic hits and as Eloise’s mental state deteriorates and her actions become more erratic the music perfectly reflects action on screen. There is a very satisfying conclusion that allows the late Diana Rigg to shine and she gives a strong and extremely memorable performance as the sinister landlady. In conclusion “Last Night In Soho” is a very satisfying and enjoyable horror, thriller that until the final chapter has the audience guessing what is real and was is not and who is the actual antagonist.