‘Last Night In Soho’ co-writer defends film’s controversial twist

‘Last Night In Soho’ co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns has defended the film’s controversial ending twist. Major spoilers ahead.

Wilson-Cairns, who has written for films including ‘1917’ and ‘Dunkirk’, co-penned the screenplay with director Edgar Wright, but the pair have faced some criticism of their decision to reveal a twist near the end of the film.

In the film, Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie) believes that she has seen a vision of Sandie – a cabaret singer who she embodies in her dreams to travel back to Soho in the swinging ‘60s – being murdered by her pimp in the room she lives in.

The twist reveals that Sandie is not dead, but is in fact her elderly landlady Ms Collins, who murdered the men who exploited her.

Critics argued that the twist does not align with the film’s key messages.

Now Wilson-Cairns has defended the decision, arguing it was “the key idea to the female empowerment”.

Speaking to IndieWire, the screenwriter explained: “I had never seen a villain like that before. I’d never seen a villain where I don’t agree with what she does, but I empathise with what she does. That was such a crucial element that hooked me in. I think without that twist, I might not have been as interested in the film.”

She also insisted that the seeds were sown earlier in the films. “There’s some red flags there! But it’s subtle enough, and you’re swept up enough in this idea of, ‘Wow, this is a dream.’”

She continued: “And then we completely and utterly turn that on their head, and we’re like, ‘Oh, you thought this was going to be a lovely trip down Memory Lane? Surprise. It’s not’. And then it only gets much darker from there.”

Elsewhere, ‘Last Night In Soho’ leading lady Anya Taylor-Joy last month released her cover of Petula Clark’s 1964 classic tune ‘Downtown’ from the film.

Taylor-Joy’s new version, dubbed ‘Downtown (Downtempo),’ is a moody take on the song, with orchestral accompaniment.