A foray into Edgar Wright’s native London and a nostalgic time travel to a bygone era, Wright’s Last Night in Soho traverses the present and the swinging 60s. Whilst very much resembling a passion project and ode to his native London, Wright’s inventive but sadly misshapen horror cuts the cloth a little too unevenly. The film, introduced to audiences at London Film Festival as a film of two halves, accompanied by a request to keep spoilers to a minimum, sets out to lightly prod and poke at contemporary youth culture. In juxtaposing the 60s-obsessed twee Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) amidst a predominantly narcissistic student culture, Wright attempts to justify a convoluted jaunt into another persona and another time.
Celebrating the music and fashion of the 1960s as she self indulgently dances in her out-of-city bedroom, Eloise is a sensitive and tender soul. Promptly, she receives confirmation of university acceptance; a place at London College of Fashion awaits, and with it brings excitement and reluctance from sole grandparent Peggy (Rita Tushingham). Despite the reassurance of a lingering, unexplained sensitivity and subjectivity to seeing her dead mother is well behind her, Eloise finds the mire of London student parties, unpleasant flatmates, and a constant, unwelcome male gaze overwhelming. Gratefully, Eloise leaves student halls for a quaint single bedsit, immediately alleviating many social pressures she initially faced. Almost as if awaiting her arrival, on her first night in the new room, firmly entrenched in London, a body-hopping, time-jumping journey begins.
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