Ashlyn Nance Nance 1

Professor Sutton

MRTS 3610

Nov. 16, 20122

How Last Night in Soho Claims its Place as a Modern Feminist Film

Everyone has preconceived notions about the people and world around them. Sometimes

these assumptions are validated and grounded in reality, but other times these hypotheses are

proven false. The subject is left reeling in their own thoughts, left to second guess themselves

and their conceived perception of the world. Last Night in Soho is a complete roller coaster of a

film, leading the audience down wild twists and turns so that they never know what is awaiting

them around the corner. The feminist views of today’s society help to distract the viewers from

the larger tale being weaved right before our very eyes, so when the final plot twist is revealed,

tiny details begin to fall into place to finish the incomplete puzzle the film left us with. This film

is a surreal narrative following the life of a young woman who just moved to London as she

desperately tries to unravel the mystery of the woman who lived there before her. By exploring

two different decades, we are able to see how society and basic perceptions of women have

changed over the years to better study and analyze the ingrained misogyny that can cloud our

everyday judgment.

As a spiritually intune young woman who was rejected and mocked by her peers myself,

I found the main character to be incredibly relatable and sympathetic. In the eyes of many, one of

the most vital pieces of criteria for determining whether or not a film is truly a feminist work is

the leading lady. What are her strengths? Her morals? Is she too dependent on those around her?

Movie goers today are incredibly harsh when judging a main character, so long as that character

is a woman. Male characters can get away with ridiculous and downright fanciful stunts simply

because they are a man, but female roles must go out of their way to prove their knowledge and
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skill is justified because they are a woman. Because of this, many pieces of media that want to

appear feminist make their female lead as tough as nails with a no nonsense attitude. These kinds

of works go out of their way to prove that this woman is special because she can fight just as

good as a man, or she has some kind of “quirky” interest that is typically masculine. What sets

Last Night in Soho apart as a truly feminist work is the fact that it does not shy away from Ellie’s

more traditionally feminine qualities. When we are first introduced to her, she is wearing a

newspaper ballgown of her own design as she dances and sings to herself in her room before

opening her acceptance letter to a fashion design school. As well as her interests, she also has a

traditionally feminine physique with her short stature and pencil thin frame. She looks more like

an average woman who you would pass by on the street without a second glance rather than the

strong, independent “girl boss” that so called feminist films try to push off as the norm. As a

character, Ellie is more reminiscent of a real person than the Mary Sue-esque character that

viewers have come to expect when seeing a woman as the title character in a thriller mystery

such as this.

Unless you are willing to address internalized misogyny and the deep seeded hatred some

women hold for other ladies, you cannot claim to be a feminist. Last Night in Soho does not shy

away from the bitter meanness that women can dish out amongst each other, and by choosing not

to sugarcoat inner relations between these characters, it creates a more realistic tone despite the

fantastical elements within the film. Another example of a movie that does not shy away from

the condescension and fake niceties exchanged between women is the film Mean Girls. It is a

film with a more down to earth and “realistic” story, and is hailed by many to be a great coming

of age story and a feminist icon among other flicks. This is a movie filled to the brim with classic

mean girl antics to show an accurate portrayal of life in high school for many younger girls. No
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one argues that the movie is not feminist simply because it has female characters who are bad

people and treat others rudely. In fact, it is more feminist to portray certain characters as such,

because real women do not always fall into the kind and caring archetype, and portraying every

female character as such does more harm than good. Ellie’s roommate Jocasta and her friend

group first appear like they are trying to be nice to her and are just doing a poor job, but it is later

revealed just what they think of her while they trash talk her in the bathroom. This scene felt

incredibly real to me, because even though it has never happened to me, I have heard others

being ridiculed or made fun of behind their backs. Internalized misogyny affects hundreds of

women everywhere, and is oftentimes the root of their disdain and contempt for other women,

with jealousy right alongside it. This type of character portrayal is vital to creating an authentic

story from a woman’s perspective. It would be hypocritical to only portray female characters as

inherently good simply because of their gender. Even when they have the best intentions, their

actions can cause the death of an innocent man or put the lives of other characters in jeopardy.

On the other hand, people everywhere are malicious just for the sake of being mean, and women

are not the exception. At times, their contempt and violence is warranted like with this film’s

main “villain.” The fem fatale is a trope that dates back to early noir films and has since become

quite popular among other genres. Ellie spends the majority of the film subconsciously bearing

witness to years of sexual abuse to Sandie, the other lead in the movie. At the end of the film, an

epiphany is had that puts Ellie in danger, at the hands of a previously trusted female character.

The fact that the main antagonist was not a man was shocking within the context of the storyline

and further strengthens the claim that this work is a feminist piece of media.

For decades now, women have been shamed out of having objectively feminine and

“girly” hobbies and interests in favor of encouraging them to pursue “cooler,” more masculine
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pastimes. Both of the female leads in this movie share a passion for fashion, although Sandie’s is

more implied based on the clothes she wears and the manner in which she presents herself. The

60’s were an amazing time for women’s style with the bright colors and flowing shape of the

fabrics used. Dresses were much more common then than they are today and serves as a status

quo for a woman’s place in society. Mere decades ago, women were expected to always look as

pretty as a Barbie doll to please the men around them, and Sandie serves as the perfect example.

At first she wishes to become a famed singer or performer, but instead is dragged into a life of

sex work at the behest of her manager. Despite living a rough life, she always fixes herself up

and dresses to the nines to appear respectable and put together, a quality that is initially what

grabs Ellie’s attention. Both lead characters take pride in their appearance, Ellie less so as the

movie progresses and we see her grip on reality begin to slip. One of the only things that

continue to ground her is the work she is doing in class. She is inspired to recreate Sandie’s first

dress from her dream: a look that is colorful, cheerful, and inherently feminine, all of which are

qualities that society has come to expect and even demand of women. Ellie’s fashion designs that

we see in the movie can all fit in this category not because she conforms to society’s

expectations of women, but because she genuinely loves and appreciates the delicate, ladylike

fashion of the 60’s. She embraces these womanly qualities so that she may finish her project

while still working to solve the greater mystery that is afoot.

Lastly, what really solidifies Last Night in Soho’s place as a feminist film is the movie’s

plot. The majority of the film revolves around Ellie discovering details of the mysterious

Sandie’s life and untimely death, all while Ellie herself faces mental health struggles, paranoia,

and general feelings of inadequacy. Modern society has become more open when discussing

mental health topics, and the film takes a progressive stance in the way in which they handle
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these issues. The film’s writer, director, and actors involved understand the importance of

keeping these discussions relevant in relation to women’s health. Ellie tries to stay strong on her

own, but her love interest John as well as her grandma consistently show great concern for her

wellbeing over the course of the film. She is persistent with her refusals and denials until John is

able to finally get through to her. As her visions of the past begin to blend with the modern world

around her, she continues to slip further off into the deep end in her desperate search for justice

on behalf of a woman long gone. Her loyalty to a lady she has never met is a testament to her

pure heart and kind nature, something she fully embraces, yet nearly becomes her downfall.

Last Night in Soho is a visually stunning and mentally creative masterpiece, with

important messages and underlying meanings weaved throughout. With its use of well developed

characters and a gripping narrative, future generations will look back on it with praise and

admiration. This film is a passionate tale with strong feminist themes that serve to make it even

greater than the trailers lead on. By focusing on the characters’ struggles and the patriarchal

world in which they reside, we can better reflect the ways in which such a setting mirrors our

own society.
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Works Cited

Holmes, Jon. “Why Edgar Wright's Last Night in Soho Is Already a Feminist Classic.”

MovieWeb, 1 Mar. 2022, https://movieweb.com/last-night-in-soho-feminism/.

Connor McLaughlin |. “'Last Night in Soho' Is a Love Letter to 1960s London

Underscored by an Alluring Feminist Message.” The Reveille, 21 Nov. 2021,

https://www.lsureveille.com/entertainment/last-night-in-soho-is-a-love-letter-to-1960s-lo

ndon-underscored-by-an-alluring/article_677bcd06-4412-11ec-bed4-cb51a807cf61.html.