Nancy (Jessica Belkin) works for her father Edward (Jeremy Sisto) at his diner and clashes with one of her co-workers Jake (Taylor Kowalski). Firing him on the spot during a heated row, Nancy is left to do the night shift at the diner on her own. With no customers in sight, Nancy ponders about her secret pregnancy but soon finds herself fighting for her life when the diner is targeted by a murderous gang. Can she survive the night?
‘Last Straw’ from director Alan Scott Neal is essentially a twist on the home invasion sub-genre. The small-town setting and the remote location of the diner, ticks off all the elements you’d expect from a film of this nature. It’s established quickly that Nancy is pregnant but she’s not sure who the father is. At work she’s seen unfavourably by her colleagues as she’s the boss’ daughter, and aside from Bobby (Joji Otani-Hansen), who is harbouring romantic feelings for her, she has no friends there.
The tension builds nicely as Nancy is tormented by a gang of mask wearing maniacs, and the film manages to pull off a few twists along the way. Director Neal ensures that the film is edge-of-the-seat tense throughout, and he keeps you guessing as to who is going to make it out of the film alive. Add to that the fact that Nancy is pregnant, and there’s a whole other dimension of worry as she fights for her (and her unborn child’s) life.
What ‘Last Straw’ does well is that it tells the story from multiple perspectives. We see the events unfolding through Nancy’s eyes but we also learn the reason why the group that targets her and the diner decides to carry out their reign of terror. The jumping between narratives is handled well, never leaving the viewer disoriented or confused.
Jessica Belkin carries the film performance-wise. Her final girl energy radiates from the screen and even though her character isn’t the most likeable, you do want her to succeed. We don’t learn quite as much about the supporting characters but there’s enough development there for you to understand their motivations. Taylor Kowalski is perfectly cast as the shape-shifting and intense Jake, while Jeremy Sisto brings some gravitas to the proceedings as Nancy’s father.
‘Last Straw’ is a perfectly serviceable horror/thriller that doesn’t outstay it’s welcome and delivers an entertaining, and bloody, watch. It’s a well-made film that doesn’t particularly break any new ground but it understands its strengths and plays to them. If you like films like ‘The Strangers’ and ‘You’re Next’, then ‘Last Straw’ will be right up your street. Don’t expect anything hugely original and just enjoy it for what it is – a tense home invasion thriller with some nice twists and turns.
Cast: Jessica Belkin, Taylor Kowalski, Jeremy Sisto, Joji Otani-Hansen Director: Alan Scott Neal Writer: Taylor Sardoni Certificate: Duration: 83 mins Released by: Blue Finch Film Releasing Release date: 23rd September 2024 Buy ‘Last Straw’ now
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