The Last Thing He Wanted
THE LAST THING HE WANTED - NETFLIX
Towards the end of last year, NETFLIX was delivering quality film after quality film: El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie, The Irishman, Marriage Story and Uncut Gems. However, The Last Thing He Wanted has come along to remind everyone what the NETFLIX originals standard normally is. The film sees a D.C. journalist (Anne Hathaway) lose the thread of her own narrative when she goes on a guilt-propelled errand for her father (Willem Dafoe), throwing her from the sideline to the subject of the very story she is trying to break.
There are so many factors of this film that could have worked: from the cast to the intriguing plot premise. Yet the filmmakers completely squander everything. The plot is one of the most convoluted, dull and confusing NETFLIX has decided to bring to life. If the scenes had been rearranged into any order, it would not have made any less sense than it does in the supposed correct order. The film throws so much exposition, voice over and attempts at character development at the screen with barely any context whatsoever. Opening with Hathaway mumbling nonsensical information, footage of her and Rosie Perez wondering around the jungle show before the film diverts into the main story. From there, we get awkward scene transitions and poor pacing throughout the duration. It is difficult to care about what is happening and it is also very easy to lose track of what is going on within the first 15-20 minutes. The film keeps throwing twist after twist at the screen and character names that will be forgotten almost instantly.
That being said, The Last Thing He Wanted is not badly made from a purely visual perspective and is not completely unwatchable. There is some solid location cinematography at times. Sadly, that is ruined with the poor editing of dialogue, especially when it comes to face to face discussions that cut quickly and dialogue feeling too fast – even some noticeable ADR. Hathaway is completely unenthusiastic and un-engaging to watch as our lead character; with this and the terrible Serenity from last year, she is not having the best moment. Ben Affleck and Rosie Perez both show up with no enthusiasm or presence whatsoever. Willem Dafoe seems more drunk and ineligible at times here than he was in The Lighthouse, but just nowhere near as entertaining to watch.
The Last Thing He Wanted is a complete and utter waste of time. It does not surprise that none of the cast bothered to promote it at all. Everyone is completely bland; the story is an absolute mess of dull, convoluted dialogue and the some of the least thrilling supposedly tense sequences viewers will see all year. The title of the film will speak directly to the viewer's experience.
THE LAST THING HE WANTED is streaming exclusively on NETFLIX February 21st 2020
