Last Night in Soho 2021, directed by Edgar Wright, is a psychological thriller drenched in neon nostalgia and haunting illusions. The film follows Eloise (Thomasin McKenzie), a shy, fashion-obsessed young woman who moves to London to pursue her dreams. But what begins as a journey of artistic aspiration morphs into a descent into the violent undercurrents of 1960s Soho—seen through the eyes of a stunning aspiring singer named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), whose story unfolds through Eloise’s vivid visions.
Sandie is the film’s radiant centerpiece—dazzling, enigmatic, and tragic. Her beauty is immediate and cinematic: platinum-blonde hair, striking eyes, graceful movements, and magnetic charm. But this beauty, like much in the film, is a façade. In the beginning, it grants her access—to men, to promises, to the glamorous stage lights. Her femininity is emphasized in the style of the era: sleek dresses, smoky eyes, high heels, all composed with the precision of someone who knows how to be seen.
Yet Last Night in Soho reveals the cost of being seen. Sandie’s gender and appearance become vulnerabilities in a world that commodifies women. Her dream of fame is gradually eroded by male control and exploitation, turning her beauty into a trap. The film does not merely romanticize her—it critiques the lens through which beautiful women, especially in male-dominated spaces, are consumed. As Eloise watches Sandie’s rise and fall from her spectral vantage point, the film draws a powerful line between admiration and objectification, between glamour and violence.
Eloise herself, though more reserved and less visually striking at first, undergoes her own transformation. As she becomes more entangled in Sandie’s world, she begins to adopt her look—her makeup, her confidence, even her posture. But the film makes clear that emulating beauty without understanding its burden can be dangerous. In Soho, beauty attracts, but it also entraps.
In Last Night in Soho, femininity is both performance and prison. Beauty is shown as a double-edged sword—capable of opening doors but also of inviting danger. Through its dual heroines, the film explores how women’s appearances are shaped, used, and sometimes destroyed by the culture around them.
