Last Night In Soho: A Mind-Bending Recap

Hey everyone! Ever watched a movie that just messes with your head in the best possible way? That’s Last Night in Soho for me! If you’ve seen it, you know exactly what I’m talking about. And if you haven't, buckle up because we're diving deep into this psychological thriller. This recap is going to be packed with spoilers, so consider yourself warned. Seriously, go watch the movie and come back; you won’t regret it!

The Dream Begins: Eloise's Journey to London

Our main character is Eloise, or Ellie, played by Thomasin McKenzie. She's a sweet, somewhat naive girl from rural Cornwall with a major passion for fashion design. What makes Ellie unique is her ability to see the ghost of her deceased mother and a strong connection to the past. This connection is beautifully woven into the story, setting the stage for everything that follows. Ellie's dream is to study at the prestigious London College of Fashion, and guess what? She gets in! Talk about a dream come true, right? But city life isn't always as glamorous as it seems.

Moving from the quiet countryside to the bustling streets of London is a huge culture shock for Ellie. The college environment is cliquey, and she feels like an outsider. Her roommate, Jocasta, is your typical mean girl – snobby, condescending, and just plain unpleasant. Ellie quickly realizes that living in the dorm is not going to work for her mental health. So, she decides to find a place of her own. This is where things get really interesting. She stumbles upon a bedsit in the heart of Soho, owned by an elderly landlady named Ms. Collins. The room has a vintage vibe, and something about it feels… different.

Little does Ellie know, this room is a portal to another time. The first night she sleeps there, she's transported back to the 1960s. This is where the dazzling lights of Soho really start to shine. The 60s sequences are visually stunning, filled with vibrant colors, iconic music, and a palpable sense of energy. It's like stepping into a dream – or is it?

Sandie's World: Glamour and Deceit in the Swinging Sixties

In her visions, Ellie becomes Sandie, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Sandie is everything Ellie aspires to be: confident, beautiful, and talented. She's an aspiring singer with dreams of making it big in the London nightlife scene. The 1960s Soho that Ellie experiences through Sandie is initially intoxicating. It's a world of smoky clubs, dazzling lights, and the promise of fame and fortune. Sandie catches the eye of Jack, a charming talent manager who promises to help her career take off. At first, their relationship seems like a dream come true. They dance, they laugh, and Sandie is convinced that she's on the path to stardom.

However, as Ellie continues to experience Sandie's life, the cracks begin to show. Jack's charming facade fades away, revealing a darker, more manipulative side. Sandie's dreams of being a singer are slowly eroded as Jack pushes her into increasingly exploitative situations. The vibrant, exciting world of Soho turns into a claustrophobic nightmare. Ellie witnesses Sandie's descent into exploitation and abuse, blurring the lines between dream and reality. The 60s sequences become more disturbing, filled with unease and a growing sense of dread. The music shifts from upbeat pop to unsettling, distorted melodies, reflecting Sandie's unraveling psyche.

Reality Bites: The Lines Blur

Back in the present, Ellie becomes increasingly obsessed with Sandie's story. She starts to emulate Sandie's style, dyeing her hair blonde and adopting her fashion choices. But the visions are taking a toll on her mental state. She struggles to distinguish between what's real and what's not. The ghosts of Sandie's past begin to haunt her waking hours, blurring the line between the past and present. Ellie's grip on reality loosens as she becomes convinced that Sandie was murdered. She becomes consumed with finding out what happened to her, convinced that she can somehow right the wrongs of the past.

Her investigation leads her down a dark and dangerous path. She starts seeing ghostly figures lurking in the shadows, and the vibrant colors of Soho are replaced by a sense of decay and menace. The film does an excellent job of creating a sense of paranoia and unease, making the audience question what's real and what's a figment of Ellie's imagination. Even the safe spaces in her life, like her fashion school, get twisted into a place of fear. Her designs start to get darker and more reminiscent of the horrors of the past, and people around her start to worry about her mental state.

Unraveling the Truth: Twists and Turns

As Ellie digs deeper, she uncovers a web of secrets and lies surrounding Sandie's disappearance. She discovers that Jack was not who he seemed and that many people in Soho knew about Sandie's fate but remained silent. The film throws several red herrings, making it difficult to discern who is trustworthy and who is not. One of the key suspects is an elderly man who frequents the pub where Ellie works. He seems to recognize her and claims to have known Sandie. Ellie is convinced that he's the one who murdered Sandie and becomes obsessed with bringing him to justice.

The climax of the film is a rollercoaster of twists and turns. Ellie confronts the elderly man, only to discover that he's not Jack, but someone else entirely. The real Jack is revealed to be Ms. Collins, Ellie's landlady! In a shocking revelation, we learn that Ms. Collins is Sandie herself, who has been living under an assumed identity for decades. Sandie explains that she didn't die but was forced to do terrible things to survive. She claims that she killed Jack in self-defense after he tried to kill her.

Confrontation and Resolution: Facing the Ghosts of the Past

The revelation that Ms. Collins is Sandie sets up a tense and suspenseful confrontation. Sandie, now an elderly woman haunted by her past, is both a victim and a perpetrator. She's desperate to keep her secrets buried and will do anything to protect herself. Ellie, on the other hand, is determined to uncover the truth and bring justice to Sandie's victims. The final act of the film is a battle between these two women, both haunted by the ghosts of Soho's past.

Ultimately, Ellie manages to convince Sandie to let go of her anger and embrace forgiveness. They both realize that they are victims of a predatory system that exploited and abused women. In a symbolic act, they work together to lay the ghosts of the past to rest. The film ends with Ellie finding peace and moving on with her life, having learned valuable lessons about the dangers of romanticizing the past and the importance of standing up for what's right.

Last Night in Soho is a visually stunning and psychologically complex film that explores themes of nostalgia, exploitation, and the dark side of dreams. It's a movie that stays with you long after the credits roll, prompting you to question the stories we tell ourselves about the past and the realities that lie beneath the surface. What did you guys think of the ending? Let me know in the comments below!