Director Edgar Wright releases a first look photo for his new film Last Night in Soho. On social media, the English filmmaker posted the image, and also revealed that principal photography has wrapped. Earlier this month, Last Night in Soho received a September 2020 release date.
Last Night in Soho was reportedly inspired by two classic psychological horror films: Roman Polanski’s Repulsion (1965) and Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now (1973). Since Wright’s new film was first announced, he’s been secretive about the plot details aside from the fact that it’s set in London. Based on the aforementioned cinematic influences, Last Night in Soho will likely have a psychosexual subplot while incorporating a supernatural element. For the main cast, Wright enlisted movie veteran Terence Stamp, along with fellow English performers Anya Taylor-Joy and Matt Smith. New Zealand actress Thomasin McKenzie rounds out the main Last Night in Soho cast. She previously appeared in the 2018 indie hit Leave No Trace, and has roles in the upcoming high-profiles films Jojo Rabbit and The King.
Wright revealed a first-look photo for Last Night in Soho on Twitter. The image appears to show Taylor-Joy in character, wearing black clothing and black make-up around her eyes. There’s a look of complete shock on her face, with her right arm covering her mouth. Aside from that, Wright doesn’t provide any context for the photo but uses the caption, “That is a wrap on main unit photography on my next feature film, 'Last Night in Soho'.” Check out Wright’s Twitter post below.
Alongside the main Last Night in Soho cast, accomplished English actress Diana Rigg (Game of Thrones) has a supporting role. English actress Rita Tushingham also has a supporting role in Last Night in Soho. Wright co-wrote the script with Krysty Wilson-Cairns, who collaborated with Sam Mendes on the script for the upcoming war movie 1917.
Considering how quickly information can spread on social media, it’s a wise move for Wright to remain secretive about Last Night in Soho’s storyline. Some fans may be expecting a blatant mashup of Repulsion and Don’t Look Now, but it’s possible that Wright may have simply used the films' collective visual aesthetics for inspiration, rather than the thematic concepts. For example, Roeg's film incorporates the color red throughout, whereas Polanski's monochromatic imagery is more stark and stripped down. Based on Wright's first look image, he seems to have found a balance, and will utilize the color black as a visual motif. We’ll have to wait and see whether Last Night in Soho pays homage to psychological horrors of past years, or whether it’s more of a progressive film.
Source: Edgar Wright