What to Expect from Edgar Wright’s ‘Last Night in Soho’

Welcome to Great Expectations, a recurring series in which we break down the most essential information about an upcoming movie or show. In this edition, we look at what you can expect from Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho.

Throughout his impressive career, Edgar Wright has dabbled in a number of different genres. Shaun of the Dead (2004) is a gory, whiplash-inducing horror comedy, while Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) is a flashy action flick, and Baby Driver (2017) is an energetic, music-based romp. Yet Wright has never made a straight-up scary movie — until now.

His latest, titled Last Night in Soho, is a psychological horror film featuring an original story by Wright, who also co-wrote the script with Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917).

Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming movie:

Last Night in Soho Release Date (and Where to Watch)

Last Night in Soho was ready in September 2020. But due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the release date was pushed almost a year. Now the movie is due to come out exclusively in theaters on October 29, 2021.

When will Last Night in Soho begin streaming? As a Universal release, it will be available on VOD either seventeen or thirty-one days after it opens, depending on its initial box office earnings, as stipulated in the studio’s current deal with movie theaters.

Last Night in Soho Cast

The main cast of Last Night in Soho consists of rising star Thomasin McKenzie (Jojo Rabbit), the beloved Anya Taylor-Joy (The Witch), Matt Smith (The Crown), Rita Tushingham (A Taste of Honey), Terrence Stamp (The Limey), Jessie Mei Li (Shadow and Bone), and the late actresses Diana Rigg (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) and Margaret Nolan (Goldfinger), both in their final movie appearances.

The Plot

Last Night in Soho follows a contemporary aspiring fashion designer named Eloise (McKenzie) who is disillusioned by her life. One day, she inexplicably transports back to London in the 1960s. And even more inexplicably now embodies her idol, a singer named Sandy (Taylor-Joy). Of course, in a seemingly idyllic world of time travel and body-snatching, things can only stay rosy for so long. And that’s where the horror element comes into play, as nothing in this mystical world is quite as it seems.

Watch the Trailer

Here’s further confirmation that this isn’t going to be your regular Edgar Wright flick. The Last Night in Soho trailer previews footage over a haunting rendition of Petula Clark’s hit song “Downtown.” And the colorful lighting eerily recalls giallo films. Watch the trailer below, and see if you can decode the spooky mysteries that are taking place.

How Anya Taylor-Joy’s Role Evolved Over Time

Based on the trailer — as well as her already established acting chops — it seems Anya Taylor-Joy is perfect for her role in Last Night in Soho, no matter what Wright has her doing in the movie. But in an interview with HeyUGuys, Wright reveals that he almost had her play another character. He says:

“I already had an idea for the movie. I knew she was the right person to be in it. Strangely enough, I had written the part that Thomasin McKenzie now plays initially for Anya. And then by the time I was ready to go with the script, I’d seen Anya in a bunch of other movies. And I started to switch and think she should play the other part. Luckily, she felt the same way. Which was great because I’d been talking up this other part to her for about five years!”