directed by:
Danny Donnelly written by: Aimee Theresa genre: Thriller |
“Don’t tell me to relax! Where am I?” Fair statement, and fair question - if you woke up chained to the wall in a place you don’t remember going to, with a toilet THAT filthy in the background, you’d be freaking out just a little bit too, I’m sure. At least the new lady has got like, a sleeping bag to lie on, a blanket and a pillow - Callie has been in this dark & dingy basement for way longer, and when she got there, there was nothing at all. In any event, I don’t think either of these characters has been getting a good sleep as of late; this place looks horrible!
What they recall is very little. Danay doesn’t remember much…it could have been drinking, it could have been drugs…ultimately, the ‘how’ of how you get to a place like this probably doesn’t matter too much once you’re there. Callie’s details on what it’s like to be there sure aren’t fun either. All in all, the fear they have seems plenty justified to me, and considering the fact that we’re basically living in a world where situations like these aren’t just possible, but actually HAPPENING, makes everything even scarier. Yes, “Last Known Location” is a fictional story…but like…deep down, we all know that for some unlucky people, it’s not. Writer Aimee Theresa (who also stars as Callie) has what’s almost too good a sense of how to go about presenting this story, to the point where you can only hope it’s not based on some really f’d up life experiences. She does an excellent job of navigating between the innocent fantasy & delusions that we have when we’re in the grips of hoping for the best in the dating realm, and director Donnelly found a fantastic way to layer that in between creepy shots of stalking from the parking lot that highlight the real danger that exists in that very same space. From what seems like normal, run-of-the-mill, flirty text messages, Theresa twists and contorts scenarios like these into the kind of nightmare fuel that could happen to anyone. Danny Donnelly provides you with the mercy of implication, which, for some, is going to be a good thing - I don’t think we’re all going to want to watch what’s happening to Danay and Callie as it occurs. Still, what’s implied will likely be extremely triggering for others, because we know what’s going on. If you’ve got an active imagination, picturing torture and rape can practically be equally awful. In regard to that, we’re immediately worried about Marly when we meet her as a result of what Aimee has set up in “Last Known Location.” While she seems strong and confident when she’s first starting to text & meet a new man, I think we’re also acutely aware of the fact that both Callie and Danay are strong women too, which reinforces the sickening feeling that this situation could happen to anyone out there, no matter who you are. I think we all have a naturally justified fear of making the shift from texting to meeting someone in real life, and Theresa draws on our anxieties as Marly starts to interact with Keith on a more serious level. Obviously, we’re all hoping that things will work out for her, but that doesn’t really feel like the kind of movie we’re watching with the tenor & tone of “Last Known Location.” There is something about Marly, though…she strikes me as the kind of person that a rapist/killer might just manage to underestimate, and if that’s the case, maybe there’s still hope for all the missing women. The real bottom line is, if something seems too good to be true, does that always have to be the case? It sure seems like it in the world we’re living in these days. Are there any heroes out there anymore? Is it ever safe to go on a freakin’ date? Do we ever really get to a point where we actually know someone? So many questions! All legitimate ones, too. There are really damn dark aspects of living in this society. So let’s see here…what would I change if I had the chance? What could be different, or come out stronger than it does? I’m not sure I have too many concerns if I’m being honest with you - “Last Known Location” is a pretty straightforward film, and I feel like you know what you’re getting within mere minutes of watching. As long as you know you’re not in store for a giant big-budget blockbuster, you should be fine. Theresa proves to be quite adept at navigating her way to success as a writer, and Danny is pretty competent as a director, too. They leaned into their strengths while also not stretching anything past the limitations of the finances. That seems like a logical way to make a film, but trust me when I tell ya, we see movies all the time where someone tries to incorporate something unnecessarily, and Donnelly was wise to steer clear of all that, because a story like this doesn’t need any of it. I think Aimee did a solid job with the most significant fake-out in terms of the main twist on who we think the perpetrator is, though if you’re paying close attention to the way that Danny films “Last Known Location,” you’ll know there was always more to this story than meets the eye in that regard. Ultimately, I think it was smart not to let that moment define the film, so Donnelly chooses to clarify this confusion around the halfway mark, still without giving everything away at once. Overall, I think there are arguments to be made that we’ve seen things “very” similar to “Last Known Location” before, and I’m sure some folks will take issue with the whole sexual violence theme being a vehicle for our entertainment…which, to be clear, I get to an extent. At the same time, I’m also very cognizant of the fact that films like this can serve a dual purpose and create needed awareness, too.
Does “Last Known Location” need to be nearly two hours in length? Nah, not from my perspective. I think it’s fair to say that there is plenty of space where this could have all tightened things up a little…I don’t really think we need to be in a basement scene discussing the poetry of Yeats to make this story have the impact it should, and there is a wealth of other examples where she could have kept things moving more quickly that wouldn’t have affected the quality of the plotline, but potentially enhanced the level of appeal for the short attention span of the masses. Things like the police chasing what we already know are dead ends, for example…there’s no serious harm in doing that, but at the same time, we’re burning daylight too - the audience is already aware that they’ve probably got the wrong suspect. With respect to that, I might argue that the law enforcement characters could have possibly come out a lot stronger…it’s tough to say that any of’em fill us with the confidence that this mystery will be solved. Still, “Last Known Location” is relevant, coherent and quite watchable. Would it have been a wise choice to find a way to get Director Danny onscreen earlier? Perhaps! I think what we see from him is great in that like…Mark or Donnie Wahlberg twisted every man in a kind of way. Other than that, “Last Known Location” pretty much does what you’d expect it to do, and has no real struggle with keeping us all entertained and engaged from start to finish. It’s pretty even straight across the board when it comes right down to it…nothing really stands out to me as “truly” amazing, whether you’re talking about the acting, writing or direction, but conversely, there are no majorly glaring mistakes to be found either - it’s a cohesive movie, and that’s always an achievement to be proud of. Does it get a little bit long towards the end once we know who the perpetrator is & we’re waiting for Johnny Law to catch up, or justice to be doled out in some other way? Probably. I’m sure there are people who’ll feel that way when watching this; it does feel like it takes its time to get to the ending we all know is coming eventually. As for me, I enjoyed “Last Known Location” - it gets three and a half stars outta five from me. |
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