Last Straw (2024)
Never work the night shift, especially when you’re a character in a horror movie!
Last Straw is a pulpy thriller that feels drawn from the pages of lurid paperback novels. It’s a violent tale set in a poverty-stricken, dead end rural town filled with hostile, bitter people. The vast majority of the movie is set in and around one location, a struggling family-owned restaurant.
The movie’s about a run-down diner that gets attacked by a gang of masked psychos. Nancy (Jessica Belkin) is a sullen 19 year old who has just discovered that she’s unexpectedly pregnant. Her dad (Jeremy Sisto), the owner of the diner, has recently made her the manager. The staff resents her dad’s nepotism, but it’s not like managing the diner is a plum job. It’s a rotting relic from the 1950s with few amenities and even fewer customers.
Much to Nancy’s chagrin, her dad assigns her to cover the night shift so that he can go on a date. Nancy hates working the night shift. In fact, she hates pretty much everyone and everything. Nancy is pissed off all the time, and we’re lucky that this is such a short movie, because a protagonist that’s constantly angry gets grating after awhile. She’s a one-note character and Belkin gives a largely one-note performance.
It would have been great if the screenwriter had given Nancy more depth as a character. He belatedly attempts this at the end, but it’s too little, too late. Belkin does a nice job with the material that she’s given, but she has virtually no opportunities to show any acting range.
A Bloody and Twisty Conclusion
Her stint as the night shift manager gets off to a poor start. A gang of punk delinquents enter the restaurant and cause trouble. Nancy is able to scare them off by pretending to call the police. She gets into an argument with her staff and impulsively fires longtime employee Jake (Taylor Kowalski), an annoying jerk who is even more unlikeable than she is.
Later, when she’s alone, the diner is besieged by a quartet of masked maniacs. Nancy calls the police (for real this time), but the attackers quickly dispatch the responding officer. Nancy thinks that the punks have returned for revenge until she discovers the surprising true identities of the men behind the masks. The movie then flashes back in time and starts telling the story from another character’s perspective, before later shifting back to Nancy’s point of view.
Nancy isn’t cut out of the normal final girl mold. Of course, Last Straw isn’t the first movie to have an anti-hero final girl. Remember Tree Gelbman from Happy Death Day? In fact, I wonder if Nancy was partially inspired by Tree. Both are cute blondes with dead mothers and snarky attitudes. Tree has more of a heart than Nancy, though.
Rating
Last Straw is a fast-paced bloody tale that offers up enough innovation to distinguish itself. It’s comparable to home invasion movies like The Strangers. The contrast is that it’s a small family business that gets targeted instead of a private residence.
The idea of doing a “home invasion” film without the home is interesting. The perspective shift and nonlinear narrative also set the movie apart. At only 81 minutes long, this movie is worth your time if you like home invasion/siege horror movies. Just don’t expect to like any of the characters.
Rating from 1 (avoid at all costs) to 10 (masterpiece): 6.5
