Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.0

The Last Matinee Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf November 7, 2021

We haven’t had a slasher film that deals with panic inside a movie theater in some time, making “The Last Matinee” a treat for those who miss such a setting for all kinds of hellraising. A South American production, the picture aims to revive an Italian feel for screen hostility and dark comedy, with co- writer/director Maximiliano Contenti trying to summon the great gods of giallo cinema to help inspire this wonderfully nasty horror offering, which isn’t afraid to spill blood and, well, do a lot more bodily harm during the run time. Contenti doesn’t have much money to create an epic, but he does exceptionally well with a simple chiller concerning a bad night for curious moviegoers in Uruguay. Genre fans should get a kick out of the effort’s grisliness and love for the exhibition business, working with the location to deliver a compelling nightmare.

It’s time for the next show at the Opera Theater, and Ana (Luciana Grasso) is ready to take over for her projectionist father, worried about his health as she prepares to study during a screening of “Frankenstein: Day of the Beast.” Moviegoers are arriving, finding a couple on their first date trying to make a connection, Tomas (Franco Duran) is a little kid who’s stayed behind after the kiddie matinee to see a horror film, and teens Goni (Vladimir Knazevs), Angela (Julieta Spinelli), and Esteban (Bruno Salvatti) are looking to get out of the rain. As the picture begins, different distractions begin happening inside the theater, but a more pressing threat arrives with a mysterious hooded killer (Ricardo Islas). Traveling around the seats and throughout the building picking off ticket-buyers, the murderer is slowly stalking the area, with Ana soon understanding that something isn’t right, only to find escape impossible as the madman comes for her.

There is no mystery in “The Last Matinee” (the feature is set in 1993), with the killer identified in the first scene of the picture. It’s not enough that the character happily takes lives, but he’s an incredibly gross human being, introduced sitting in his car, fishing around a jar of olives with his bare hand to enjoy a slippery snack. We learn later in the film that this is not the only pickled treat the fiend readily devours, but it’s enough of a sight to turn stomachs even before the bloodshed begins. Characterization isn’t deep, with the writing offering a basic understanding of motivation for the moviegoers, with Ana offered the most personal history of the cast, showing up to the theater to send her sickly father home, saving him the horror of a double shift as she hunkers down to finish homework. Ana has projectionist training, is prepared for emergencies, and she has limited patience for Mauricio (Pedro Duarte), an usher looking for company after laying down the law inside the auditorium.

“The Last Matinee” surveys the different experiences inside the theater before the slaughter begins, watching the couple on their first date explore their sexuality when the movie doesn’t quite thrill them. Tomas watches the film with wide eyes, studying forbidden entertainment. And Estaban tries to work up some courage, approaching a Brooke Shields lookalike he discovered on the bus ride over, entertaining pals Goni and Angela, who’ve been drinking. Bit and pieces of personality are presented (and remain amusing), but “The Last Matinee” soon gets down to business, with the killer skipping the feature to explore the bodily harm he can cause inside the theater. The first attack sets the tone for the production, as the victim’s throat is slit after taking a drag on a cigarette, with a mix of blood and smoke pouring from the windpipe. It’s a shot that certainly grabs attention, and more gruesomeness arrives as the audience is taken down, with everything captured in Argento Colors, adding flashes of familiar style.

The Last Matinee Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The AVC encoded image (2.35:1 aspect ratio) presentation offers a slight level of softness to sell the period setting of "The Last Matinee." There's a hazier look at screen elements, but detail survives, exploring theater interiors and offices, and skin surfaces are appreciable. Makeup effects are clearly displayed, presenting textured gore with all sorts of bodily harm. Costuming remains fibrous, with softer sweaters and heavier coats. Colors retain their brightest appearance with lobby tours, which crank up reds and greens, giving this style of lighting a defined presence in the film. Projector lighting inside the theater delivers a milder wash of blue. Skintones are natural. Delineation is satisfactory. Artifacting is an issue, with mild banding present throughout the viewing experience.

The Last Matinee Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA mix leads with compelling dialogue exchanges, exploring a variety of performance choices as characters mingle around the theater. Scoring cues offer power with heavier synth and beats, adding some depth to the low-end. Atmospherics are active, most notably with rain elements, which create circular engagement. Some separation effects are present, and stranger sound effects, like the spurting of blood, carry into the surrounds.

The Last Matinee Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary features director Maximiliano Contenti.

• Behind the Scenes (11:50, HD) discusses that making of "The Last Matinee" with a collection of cast and crew members, who explore the demands of their job and their relationship with director Maximiliano Contenti. On-set footage of production days are included, giving viewers a sense of the production effort as the crew hustles to put together the movie with limited funds.

• "Storyboard Kills" presents pre-production planning art creating by Pablo Praino.

• Deleted Scenes (6:26, HD) are offered.

• "Urban Legend: Presented by Guillermo Lockhart" (13:56, HD) is an episode of a faux true crime show investigating the murders that occur in "The Last Matinee."

• "VFX Backstage" (2:34, HD) is a showcase of the makeup effects used in the film, created by VFX director Christian Gruaz.

• "Think Green" (:50, SD) is a Toyota advertisement.

• "Espada" (3:24, HD) is a music video by Phoro.

• "Frankenstein: Day of the Beast" (91:38, HD) is the full film that plays during the events of "The Last Matinee."

• "Puppet Pal V" (93:52, SD) is a 2008 film from Maximiliano Contenti.

• Short Films from Maximiliano Contenti include "Hobby Metal" (12:00), "Hobby Metal: Behind the Scenes" (8:46), "Movie Day Uruguay" (:34), "Thank You For Your Visit" (1:15), "The Cookie" (4:13), "Fruit Stairs" (1:26), "Popping Eyes" (3:04), and "Maximiliano Contenti's Fear" (19:41).

• And a Theatrical Trailer (1:24, HD) and a Red Band Trailer (1:26, HD) are included.

The Last Matinee Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"The Last Matinee" evolves into a chase picture in the second half, using the layout of the Opera Theater to stage near misses with the killer, who has to deal with his own wounds in his own distinct way. Contenti keeps things tight with the feature, taking just over 80 minutes to deliver inventive kills and disgusting practical effects, showing clear enthusiasm for the subgenre. "The Last Matinee" isn't expansive, but it's big fun, offering Italian cinema devotees and slasher maniacs some good gross-outs and punishment while the characters tear around a single-screen prison.