Directed by: Edgar Wright
Written by: Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns
Starring: Anya Taylor-Joy, Thomasin McKenzie, Matt Smith, Terence Stamp, Diana Rigg, Rita Tushingham, Michael Ajao, Synnove Karlsen
Plot: 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.
Theatrical Release: October 29, 2021
Edgar Wright has been carving his niche on the film world for quite some time and his latest project is something unique that we haven’t seen from him yet. Wright puts his footprint on all of his projects that make his work stand out. Early in the film, Wright presents us with this world he is trying to build with these two unique but similar characters in Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) and Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy). How he introduces both is great, but the way he intertwines these characters is something of pure beauty.
Wright’s camera work is remarkable from the go. The first time we see Eloise look into the mirror and see Sandie is only the beginning of this phenomenal direction we see in the movie. One of my favorite shots (it’s in the trailer) is when Sandie is walking down the steps and we see the reflection of Eloise in the mirror and it was breathtaking.
Everyone has ranted and raved about Anya Taylor-Joy, but I’ve been waiting to see her in a groundbreaking performance to blow me away and she does just that in this movie. Her charismatic charm, breathtaking line delivery and the way she commanded the screen were flawless. The same can be said for her counterpart in Thomasin McKenzie. Over the last few years, McKenzie has been leaving her mark in the film world, but this was her best performance to date.
One of the biggest complaints I read about going into this film was the third act and after seeing the film, they weren’t wrong. The film has this fantastic build with Wright’s signature blend of music/score, breathtaking visual color palette, and excellent acting, but I felt like he missed the boat in the movie’s final act. For some reason, he took his foot off the gas and the film takes a hit for it. Again, I was disappointed because this had the making of being a damn near-perfect psychological thriller.
Overall, while the film does disappoint in the end, it’s still really good. When you factor in all the things that it gets right, you still enjoy what was presented to us at the table.
The Music City Drive-In 
Leave a Reply