by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s the U.K. feature Just One Last Thing from director Alexandra Gillespie.
Synopsis
Etta takes a job managing a halfway house between life and death, where newly deceased guests have the chance to do one last thing before crossing over. When her friend Olivia arrives in breach of all the rules, Etta must juggle her responsibilities to the guests, help her friend get justice, and not get caught by her interfering boss.
The Good
Joseph: Before giving my opinions, I want to state early on that Just One Last Thing is not a full-on horror film; rather, it is a horror-adjacent feature that combines supernatural elements with a certainly real-life horrific theme but the overall presentation is a lighter-hearted work that features a fair share of humor along with its dramatic elements. Etta (Georgiana Gillespie) follows in her mother’s and aunt’s footsteps when she takes on a job at the halfway house mentioned in the above synopsis. She does fine work until her best friend Olivia (Rebecca Banner) shows up unannounced and unaware of what Etta’s job entails. This can cause big problems for Etta should her boss find out, but vivacious Olivia quickly endears herself to the guests and isn’t that easily convinced to leave. Georgiana Gillespie and Banner head up a stellar ensemble cast that also includes Sarah Somerville, Stephen Good, Caroline Burns Cook, Tony de Souza, Vanessa Cruikshank, Cameron Wright, Lisa Ronaghan, and Paul Hughes. Writer/director Alexandra Gillespie helms her debut feature with aplomb, and the result is a charming, whimsical work. The horrible situation it addresses concerning dangers faced by women is handled delicately though effectively, and Alexandra Gillespie gets this and her other points across without anything seeming didactic or exploitative. The production values are impressive, belying the film’s limited budget.
Mike: Alexandra Gillespie has done more with her freshman outing than I’ve seen some people handle with a dozen or more movies under their belt. It’s a technically sound story that allows for humor and some poignant moments while giving everything a chance to breathe with transitional scenes that don’t come across as disposable. In other words, it all flows nicely.
The characters are all fun and portrayed by the actors quite well, enough that they were believable as real people and made it easy for me to become invested in them.
The story that ends up being the driving force of the film is a very serious subject (keepin’ it vague for spoilers), but it’s handled very carefully - seriously enough that it comes across as important as it is, but light enough that there’s still some levity around the edges, and nothing overly preachy.
The Bad
Joseph: I don’t have much to say in this section, as any issues I might have had were so minor that I don’t recall any of them now. Hopefully as Just One Last Thing travels the film fest circuit, unexpecting viewers don’t expect gore or a high body count, as those who do may find themselves disappointed with the film.
Mike: For a first time effort, Gillespie has put together a very solid film with Just One Last Thing that has very little to quibble about. Since “Bad” is in our name I feel obligated, however, to put something here so I’ll go with the few times that we’re not privy to information and how the reveal of information seems a little too much like either A) it ‘s no big deal or B) it IS a big deal, but you should have known before this reveal. Again, I need to stay vague so I don’t risk spoiling anything because — and here it is — I don’t know what should be held back and what’s safe to “spoil.” This issue affects the plot and a little of the characterization because of the ambiguity it creates, a fact that MIGHT leave some people scratching their heads a little.
The Verdict
Joseph: Just One Last Thing is destined to be a pleasant surprise for viewers looking for something different at horror film festivals, and it has plenty of potential for non-horror audiences, as well. Alexandra Gillespie and her talented cast and crew members have crafted a unique, thoroughly enjoyable feature. Strongly recommended for fear-fare fanatics and anyone who simply loves movies.
Mike: Just One Last Thing is a solid first-time affair from Alexandra Gillespie that straddles the line of serious subject matter via enjoyable characters and funny situations. Aside from scripting and minor plot details that are a little rough around the edges there’s not a lot to find wrong or bothersome.
We cover a lot of horror here and while this has a couple of elements that flirt with the genre, it’s certainly not horror. However, what it was, was a nice palette cleanser for some of the stuff we subject ourselves to and I look forward to seeing what Gillespie does in future outings.
screens as part of the Romford Horror Film Festival, which runs February 29–March 3, 2024 in Romford, U.K. For more information, visit https://www.romfordhorrorfestival.com/.
Just One Last Thing
Directed By: Alexandra Gillespie
Starring: Georginna Gillespie, Rebecca Banner, Paul Hughes, Caroline Burns Cooke, Vanessa Cruickshank
Run Time: 1h 39m
Rating: NR
Release Date: 2023