Horror Movie Review: The Last Matinee (2020)

Directed by Maximiliano Contenti, who co-wrote it with Manuel Facal, The Last Matinee is a Spanish-language slasher film that stars Luciana Grasso, Ricardo Islas, Julieta Spinelli, and Franco Durán.

Taking place predominantly in a large movie-theatre in Montevideo, Uruguay and set in 1993, The Last Matinee is a very stylish and bloody movie. One that takes a simple premise and utilises all the tropes to great results.

Ana (Luciana Grasso) sends her sickly father home from his job as a movie projectionist, taking over the running for the night so she can study for an upcoming exam. It’s quiet, there aren’t many people in the theatre and the next showing is a horror movie (2011’s Frankenstein: Day of the Beast,). She can run the film while studying provided she gets the peace and quiet she so desires.

Unfortunately for her and the few patrons inside, a man has arrived and sets about killing everyone. Why? It’s far simpler than you would think or expect which is surprisingly refreshing. Without spoiling his motivation, a simple Google translation of his name ‘Asesino Come Ojos’ will reveal all.

A mysterious man murdering a handful of characters inside a movie theatre until the final girl is forced to face off with him, isn’t that interesting. However, The Last Matinee takes the clichés, ignores many of them and the ones it uses, it makes them work in the film’s favour.

Characters are a good place to start, in particular the victims of the killer. They all get something here, just enough to make them feel real and more important than just another body. Their little side-stories, be it the teenager hoping to get lucky with the girl he saw on the bus, the couple on a date, the kid who snuck in to see the horror movie or the obnoxious usher, they all matter and make for a much more entertaining watch.

As for Ana, the final girl herself, she’s affable and likable, innocent but with a toughness that comes through. She ticks all the right boxes and Luciana Grasso does a great job. Then we have the killer himself, played by Ricardo Islas, who is super-mysterious throughout but exudes threat. Thankfully, he is less Michael Myers and more Ghost Face, in that he gets his ass kicked a lot in this movie. That’s always a fun wrinkle, that the human killer actually seems… human.

Which brings us to the aspects of The Last Matinees that stands out the most and that’s how it looks. This movie is so stylish. From the location, which feels like a holdover from the 80s that will likely be closed within the year. To the coloured lightning that just looks great and the clever angles that show you so much detail but hide so much too. To the synthy score, small uses of slow-motion and graphic gore. Yes, this is a very blood-spattered movie that almost feels ‘video nasty’ with its gleeful splattering of body fluids.

Sounds great, doesn’t it? It is but, and this is a really important but, you’re going to have to accept that there are no tricks here. The Last Matinee promises you an old-school gory slasher and that’s what it delivers. There’s nothing fresh going on here and that might put a lot of people off.

Though when it’s done this well, who cares if it’s something we’ve seen countless times before?