About the film (courtesy of Focus Features):
In acclaimed director Edgar Wright’s psychological thriller, Eloise, an aspiring fashion designer, is mysteriously able to enter the 1960s where she encounters a dazzling wannabe singer, Sandie. But the glamour is not all it appears to be and the dreams of the past start to crack and splinter into something far darker.

Let me start by saying this because I was foolish enough to project what I assumed “Soho” meant prior to reading a synopsis or watching a trailer (and being completely honest, I still wouldn’t have gotten it correct) for this film. It doesn’t mean “South Hollywood” which is what I’m most familiar with. “South of Houston” Street is another one that’s incorrect, albeit New Yorkers may have leapt to this conclusion (I never even heard of this one). And to state the very obvious, it does not stand for “small office/home office” because, why would it??

According to Wikipedia and other sources, the actual meaning of the word in the title, Last Night in Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. This is just a kind of a fun “the more you know” kind of fact.

Last Night in Soho jumps back and forth between present day and the 1960s as the plot thickens. Thomasin McKenzie drives the here and now story whereas Anya Taylor-Joy is your tour guide for that past. That being said, you will see both actresses in both eras. Director and writer Edgar Wright steers clear of campy fun as we’ve seen in several of his earlier films (Three Flavours Cornetto trilogy) and stays more in a serious, for the most part, lane like Baby Driver.

Write is a good story teller and this one is no different. Everyone that matters has a level of depth to their characters which made them feel like they are meant to be in the story and not just filler to soon be forgotten. The details of the ever-evolving mystery continues to grow until all is eventually revealed. This being said, there are a few maddening moments of frustration where you may wish that some of the repetitiveness was left on the cutting room floor. Still though, with all that’s going on, you can’t help but become invested in the mystery. And coming in a bit under two hours, there’s a lot being thrown at you.

Slightly drawn out in its overall payoff, but Edgar Wright delivers a more than serviceable thriller mystery that features solid performances along with a stylish flare that sizzles. Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy bring an intensity to their characters that keeps the plot from drifting into the lane boring repetitiveness. Embracing a film noir genre feel, Last Night in Soho dazzles with its use of its use of lighting, sounds and visual brilliance throughout. You can check this one out in theaters this weekend.