The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.5

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf October 23, 2025

Joe Bob Briggs is a respected writer and media personality, best known for his work on cable television, developing a cult following during his stint as the host of “Joe Bob’s Drive-In Theater” (which ran for a decade). Briggs is a genre admirer with an encyclopedic brain for all things horror, walking viewers through the oddities of the films he covers, making sure his audience walks away with a new appreciation for the pictures featured on the show. This commitment continued to TNT’s “MonsterVision,” which ran for four years, returning Briggs to his natural place of authority when it comes to fright films. When that gig eventually ended, Briggs was away from the small screen for quite some time, eventually called back into service for streaming service Shudder, reemerging with “The Last Drive-In” in 2018. The show was initially an experiment, with executives putting a little Joe Bob out there to see if people were still interested. And they were, inspiring a return to duty for Briggs, joined by his co-host, Darcy, the Mail Girl (Diana Prince), launching a fresh wave of hosting achievements, interviews, and general monologuing, often about the strangest topics.

“The Last Drive-In” remains in line with Briggs’s previous work, finding the host planted on a set that’s meant to resemble a comfy spot at a drive-in theater (the “Suitable Flesh” episode offers an educational setting for a “Summer School” theme). Briggs sits on a chair next to a trailer, surrounded by beer, and he launches right into a discussion of the show’s movie selection, soon joined by Darcy, who’s there to handle viewer engagement and provide some extra fun with cosplay selections, intentionally bringing sex appeal to the ghastliest of cinematic characters. There’s banter, but most of “The Last Drive-In” simply focuses on Briggs, who’s ready and willing to go anywhere with his thoughts, finding his promise to “return to the movie” always denied as he keeps sharing information, anecdotes, and opinions with his accented, rapid-fire delivery. He knows his stuff, and he’s extremely entertaining, dedicated to exploring all the “blood, beasties, boobies, and more” involved in the episode’s movie selection, also providing ratings and “Drive-In Totals,” which summarize all the R-rated highlights in the pictures.

For this Blu-ray release of “The Last Drive-In,” only two episodes are provided, and they celebrate the world of director Joe Lynch. Included are 2017’s “Mayhem” (132:08, which originally streamed in 2020) and 2023’s “Suitable Flesh” (163:50, which streamed in 2024).

“Mayhem” synopsis: The ID-7 virus is spreading, causing redness in one eye and a violent internal collision of violence and reason, rendering victims uncontrollable monsters capable of extreme aggression. For Derek (Steven Yeun), the day begins as any other, tending to his work at the Towers & Smythe consulting firm, meeting with Melanie (Samara Weaving), a desperate young woman attempting deception to protect her house from being foreclosed on by an uncaring bank. Making a discovery that someone is trying to frame him for a botched deal with a critical client, Derek’s paranoia and rage are soon amplified by an outbreak of the ID-7, which brings him to a boil, stewing in the virus as the building is quarantined, leaving him locked inside with his co-workers and Melanie, who offers a partnership, with the pair trying to battle their way to the top floor and take care of the executives (including Kerry Fox) who’ve caused them both tremendous pain.

“Suitable Flesh” synopsis: Dr. Elizabeth (Heather Graham) is a psychologist keeping to a steady schedule of patients, but her routine is disrupted with the sudden appearance of Asa (Judah Lewis). A teen boy in a state of distress, Asa asks Elizabeth for help, sharing concern about his father, Ephraim (Bruce Davison), whom he claims is after possession of his body, working to keep his distance from a newly violent man. Accepting phone contact from his parent, Asa’s demeanor changes in front of Elizabeth, who initially considers a dissociative identity diagnosis for the boy. Unable to shake thoughts of Asa, the doctor slips into a fog of fantasy, which challenges her relationship with Edward (Johnathan Schaech), her husband, driving her to learn more about Ephraim’s situation. Connecting with the sickly old man, Elizabeth is exposed to the horror of a mysterious entity that uses human hosts, trying to work its way into Asa, only to be distracted by Elizabeth, who takes her concerns to her friend and colleague, Dr. Daniella (Gordon regular Barbara Crampton).

It's a lot of Lynch, and there’s some connection between the episodes. While Briggs gives “Mayhem” a three star review, he’s amusingly very critical of it during “The Last Drive-In,” poking at the helmer’s attempt at subtext and the poor quality of his audio commentary. Lynch appears as a guest on the “Suitable Flesh” episode, jokingly there to push back on Briggs’s complaints and settle their social media feud. There’s some interesting production information shared, which helps, and Darcy has a little more to do, but Lynch tries to keep up with quips and interplay, which gets old fast. “Mayhem” is the stronger version of “The Last Drive-In” experience, keeping Briggs front and center as he goes on wild riffs, touching on Jack Ma and Chinese work culture, Serbian history, life at a Chattanooga airport bar, and the ways of the ego, superego, and id. This is what the fans want.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The image presentation for "The Last Drive-In" mixes the in-studio antics of Briggs and Darcy, the Mail Girl with the films they're presenting. Both "Mayhem" and "Suitable Flesh" are available on separate, earlier Blu-ray releases, but here, they're part of the show, with viewing experiences connected to the overall appearance of the program. Color is certainly lively during the host sequences, exploring hot neon and decorative additions that bring out brighter primaries. Clothing choices are also vivid, including Darcy's cosplay additions. Skin tones are natural. Detail isn't strong, reaching about as far as possible with the streaming production. Interlacing is present, joined by other video anomalies in the 1080i image. The film section of the show runs into occasional banding.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 2.0 DTS-HD MA mix for "The Last Drive-In" offers a straightforward listening experience for host segments, finding Briggs's monologuing clearly defined throughout both episodes. Darcy's quieter additions are also intelligible. Music selections offer crisp instrumentation and vocals, and twangy guitars presented throughout the show are appreciable. "Mayhem" and "Suitable Flesh" are not offered in their original 5.1 sound designs, remaining 2.0 along with the rest of the show.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There is no supplementary material on this release.

The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

As with most of Briggs's endeavors, "The Last Drive-In" is a lot of fun, offering time with a charismatic host and his fountain of knowledge, while his opinion isn't muted, leading to some interesting criticisms of the featured movies. Darcy is a playful addition and a welcome figure for Briggs to engage with, helping to set the mood of the show with her costumes and own opinions on the pictures and even the filmmakers (though she offers a terse "no comment" when asked about her personal interactions with Lynch). The pair provides a breezy sit and some good laughs, and while "The Last Drive-In" Blu-ray release doesn't feature more horror-based entertainment the show is known for, it delivers an enjoyable representation of the Briggs Experience.