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Leave it to Edgar Wright to take audiences on a mind bending trip like the one seen in Last Night In Soho. With Thomasin McKenzie and Anya Taylor-Joy navigating the perils of London between 1965 and today, a horror mystery begins to unfold that is absolutely terrifying and heartbreaking. That last part is particularly of note, as Wright and co-writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns have woven a story that plays both sides of the aisle in spectacular fashion. Consider this your last call before spoilers, as we’re going to talk the Last Night In Soho ending, and why it’s a beauty to behold.
What Happened At The End Of Last Night In Soho?
After being the subject of increasingly frantic visions from the past in Last Night In Soho, fashion student Eloise “Ellie” Turner (Thomasin McKenzie) is ready to leave London and head back to the countryside. Haunted by the ghost of a showgirl named Sandie (Anya Taylor-Joy), Ellie has led a double life that includes living her nights in 1960s Soho. The end result of which has left Ellie haunted by her supposed murder, and numerous faceless ghosts.
However, just as she’s about to leave the apartment she’s been renting out, her landlady, Ms. Alexandra Collins (Dame Diana Rigg), tries to kill her. Apparently, Ellie’s efforts to solve Sandie’s murder have drawn unwanted attention from the woman who's given her somewhere to stay. Ms. Collins even stabs Ellie's boyfriend, John (Michael Ajao), when he comes to rescue her in her time of need.
With Last Night In Soho’s central mystery being solved, Ellie and Ms. Collins have one final, trippy fight. With her landlady perishing in the flames of the burning flat, Ellie moves on to continue her pursuit of her fashion designer dreams. And, she still sees the spirit of Sandie, encouraging her along the way.
The Mystery Of Sandie, As Seen By Eloise
We see the mystery of Sandie’s life unfold through Last Night In Soho from a very subjective point of view. Following Eloise’s trips back in time to the mid '60s, we’re introduced to a young woman who's keen on becoming a singing star. Falling in with manager, and eventual pimp, Jack (Matt Smith), Sandie’s life becomes an endless blur of spending nights with men who are supposed to help her advance her career.
As Eloise delves further into Sandie’s tragic history, we see these gentlemen callers become ghosts with obscured faces. Haunting Ellie, even in her waking moments, we eventually learn that Sandie was killed in the room that Ellie has been renting out, supposedly after a struggle between her and Jack. Seen by Eloise, the mystery of Sandie is a tragic tale where a young woman, and her dreams, die; with only one man ever showing her concern in the process.
Eloise’s Ability In Last Night In Soho, Explained
The main reason Eloise is able to even solve the mystery of Last Night in Soho is because she’s a psychically sensitive individual. That’s a more scientific way of saying she senses spirits, as seen in the beginning of the film where Ellie talks with her deceased mother. It’s a gift, but with such talents comes a curse. As her grandmother, Margaret (Rita Tushingham), had warned her, this ability becomes overwhelmed when moving to London.
Right from her first night renting with Ms. Collins, Eloise slips back into Last Night In Soho’s 1965 madness. For the weeks that she lives in the apartment, she’s equally inspired and paranoid about what she’s starting to see. It all leads to one gigantic misunderstanding about the crime she’s being pushed to solve, and a death that never had to happen.
Terence Stamp’s True Identity, Explained
Simply credited as “The Silver Haired Gentleman” (Terence Stamp), we see this mysterious character in Last Night In Soho throughout the film. A patron of The Toucan Bar where Eloise works, he’s reminded of a woman he once knew; presumably Sandie. We’re led to believe that this man is the older version of Jack, running free after killing Sandie so many years ago. However, Ellie learns she’s dead wrong about The Silver Haired Gentleman, when trying to get him to confess to Sandie’s murder.
With his final message instructing Ellie to ask Alexandra about the truth, when she finds Alexandra in whatever hell she’s in, Last Night In Soho kills this gentleman before delivering the ultimate twist. The Silver Haired Gentleman isn’t Jack, but Linsday, a former vice cop on the beat in Soho, and the man who Sandie suspected was a copper when he showed concern. And, as it turns out, Sandie isn’t even dead to begin with.
What Really Happened To Sandie In Last Night In Soho?
What Eloise saw of Sandie’s life in Last Night In Soho was, more or less, accurate. Sandie, real name Ms. Alexandra Collins, really was an aspiring singer in 1965. Palling around with Jack, and allowing herself to be used, the young star falls deep into a life of drinking and prostitution; which eventually causes her to snap and kill Jack.
The rug fully pulled out from under the audience, Last Night In Soho reveals to us that Sandie went on to become a bit of a serial killer. Murdering her clients in a fit of anger, Sandie was determined not to be used again. The most telling clue to this mystery’s resolution is the repeated invocation of Sandie telling Jack, “You’ll know where to find me.” All of this time, Ellie was living under the same roof as Sandie, adopting her true name once more.
The 100 Deaths Of Alexandra Collins
Confronted with her acts, Ms. Collins/Sandie admits that in a way, she did die in her bedroom. Last Night In Soho saw Sandie giving different names to the various men she slept with and eventually killed; with Lindsay being the only person to get her real name. What’s even more interesting is, there’s a huge bed of clues that were hidden in plain sight.
While Ellie is researching the deaths that took place in Soho throughout the 1960s, she seemingly comes up empty handed while looking for Sandie. However, Last Night In Soho shows us tons of microfilm stories that pertain to numerous men who went missing in the area over time. Those stories of schoolteachers and other gentlemen going missing weren’t filler, they were a confession that the audience, and Ellie, were looking into the wrong murder.
After unearthing Ms. Collins’ misdeeds, thanks to the help of the countless ghosts she sent to the great beyond, Ellie sympathizes with her would-be murderer. Swayed by her kindness, Ms. Collins tells Ellie to “let her go,” and escape with John. Sacrificing herself to the flames, rather than go to prison. Ms. Alexandra Collins dies one final, permanent death.
Playing most of its story like the horror mystery you’d expect it to be, Last Night In Soho delivers tragic and heartbreaking twists in its final act. It’s not for nothing though, as young Ellie Turner is allowed to break free from her obsession with the past, as well as putting the spirits of Sandie’s victims to rest, as well.
Should you be inspired to see Last Night In Soho again, or if you’re the type of person who likes to spoil movies with novelization style recaps, the film is currently in theaters for your enjoyment. With plenty of other 2021 movies available, or coming down the line, you can pretty much find anything else you’re looking for, if you’re ready to let go of Last Night In Soho. Just be careful, because stories like this Stephen King inspired tale have a way of haunting the audience long after the credits have rolled.
