The Last Showgirl Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Last Showgirl Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman June 26, 2026

When Bus Stop was released in 1956, a lot of the critical chatter revolved around the (then) surprising performance acuity of its female star, with Time Magazine famously beginning its review with, "Meet Miss Monroe, Actress". Some of that same unexpected reaction attended another blonde bombshell's dramatic portrayal, this time former "Home Improvement Girl" Pamela Anderson, given a real showcase in this story of an aging Las Vegas dancer named Shelly who suddenly finds herself in perilous conditions both due to changing work environments but also some interpersonal fracases for which she is at least partially responsible. Adapted by Kate Gersten from her own novel Body of Work and directed by Gia Coppola, The Last Showgirl is an uneasy meditation on the vagaries of getting older in a youth obsessed business, and along with Anderson, it provides some good moments for both Jamie Lee Curtis as BFF Annette and (arguably just as surprisingly) Dave Bautista as club manager Eddie, who delivers the devastating news that the revue Shelly has been dancing in for decades is about to close.

I frankly haven't read Gersten's original novel, but she seems to approach her screenwriting duties with a perhaps ill advised tendency to "describe" or "talk about" events rather than merely depicting them. "Show, don't tell" was one of the guiding principals of all sorts of screenplay gurus like Syd Field, but it may owe its genesis to none other than Anton Chekhov, who once reportedly said, "Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass". The exposition heavy narrative can be a slog, but it's elevated by the cast, and it's absolutely refreshing to see actresses of Anderson's and Curtis' general ages willing to appear on screen without any "youth-ifying" attempts in terms of makeup or even special effects. The film's 16mm shoot gives things an at least passingly documentarian feel, though the overheated relationship between Shelly and her estranged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd) may frankly seem like something cut out of a high gloss Douglas Sirk melodrama. The film at least has the courage of its convictions, both in how the aging women are depicted (both presentationally but more importantly as characters) as well as in the unresolved issues that remain at the end of the tale.

The Last Showgirl Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Last Showgirl is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Though certainly not the first film to offer this perhaps slightly unexpected combo platter of data points, The Last Showgirl was shot on 16mm by cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw, but according to the IMDb it also had a 4K DI. The result is perfectly in keeping with the intended gritty, indeed at times positively fuzzy, appearance that was aimed for and which at least subliminally gives things a somewhat cinéma vérité feel. Detail levels are obviously dependent upon a smaller source format, but in close-ups especially, fine detail is often quite appealing. Wider framings along with what I assume were intentional stylistic choices in terms of lenses can be a good deal more blurry (look at the edges of the frame in screenshot 7 for one example). The palette is nicely suffused throughout, if perhaps not as "glittery" as the Las Vegas setting might suggest.

The Last Showgirl Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Last Showgirl features DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that announces some surround activity from the get go with some panning footsteps that turn out to be Shelly walking into an audition. Some of the more cacophonous club material probably provides the most convincing engagement of the side and rear channels, but even quieter dialogue scenes can have well placed ambient environmental effects dotting the surround channels. Both diagetic music and underscore sound full bodied. Dialogue is presented without any issues. Optional English and Spanish subtitles are available.

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

• The Last Showgirl: Unreserved (HD; 20:01) is a decent EPK with behind the scenes footage and interviews.


• A Conversation with Pamela Anderson and Jamie Lee Curtis (HD; 30:23) is a really fun conversation with the pair, though whoever proofread this disc misspelled Jamie's name on both the cover and the menu listing. It's enough to make you want to wag a hot dog finger at someone.

A digital copy is also included.

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

Early in my no doubt boneheaded attempts to make music at least part of my professional life, I was advised to go to Las Vegas and find some kind of lounge piano gig, which are (or at least were) in plentiful supply. In doing some "field research", I was introduced to a number of professionals in the Las Vegas market who had indeed managed to craft careers (often later in life, in quasi-retirement), but who often shared an almost identical melancholy about ending up in the neon encrusted desert metropolis. Suffice it to say, I decided other markets were probably best for me personally, but there is a really interesting subset of performers in Vegas in all sorts of various arts (music, dancing, standup, acting, et al.) who really deserve more attention, either dramatically or in a documentary. The Last Showgirl is a decent effort in that regard, and it is certainly buoyed by some moving performances. My hunch is women in any work environment who sense they're getting older than a lot of their professional cohort will find a lot to commiserate with in this narrative. Technical merits are solid and both the EPK and especially the Anderson - Curtis chat are very enjoyable. Recommended.