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Last Looks Blu-ray Review

“Last Looks” isn’t worth a look.

Based on the novel by Howard Michael Gould (who also penned the screenplay), “Last Looks” is a neo-noir murder mystery. The story revolves around a retired cop (Charlie Waldo) who is living a reclusive life. When his former girlfriend (Lorena) visits him by trying too him into coming out of retirement to act as a private eye for a case involving an actor (Alastair) who allegedly murdered his wife. As Charlie reluctantly looks into the case in Tinseltown, he finds himself pulled into a complex plot involving a teacher, Lorena’s disappearance, a shady TV network big wig, criminals, and more.

Have you seen films like “Get Shorty,” “The Big Lebowski,” “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang,” and “Chinatown”? Well then, you’ve seen better movies than director Tim Kirkby’s “Last Looks” which so desperately aspires to be like those modern classics. 

The central mystery of the Los Angeles/Hollywood neo-noir “Last Looks” should be the hook that draws viewers in, but it’s not. In fact, it’s so uninvolving that you won’t even care how the sluggish whodunit wraps up. When it does conclude, it’s entirely underwhelming and a bit of a tonal nightmare to boot. Equally puzzling is that the lead character in Charlie Waldo is the least interesting character on screen. That’s no fault of Charlie Hunnam mind you, it’s the fault of the writer who surrounds the character with scene stealing supporting characters (some of whom only have a few scant scenes). If you can’t have a compelling mystery or main character, there’s no hope for the movie to work.

The star studded cast comprised of Charlie Hunnam, Morena Baccarin, Mel Gibson, Rupert Friend, Clancy Brown, Method Man, Dominic Monaghan, and Lucy Fry is really what “Last Looks” has going for it. To be fair, there are a couple entertaining performances here from Mel Gibson (as a volatile drunken actor who is British for some reason) and Rupert Friend who goes against type as Wilson. 

“Last Looks” hits Blu-ray on April 12

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 1080p. Grade: A-

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Grade: B+

The only extras are RLJE Films trailers and a standard “The Making Of Last Looks” featurette. 

March 24, 2022 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Charlie Hunnam, Last Looks Blu-ray Review, Last Looks Movie, Mel Gibson