Edgar Wright has, quite rightly, been clear on twitter, that to get the best out of Last Night in Soho, you should go in knowing as little as possible. So, I will try to give as little away as possible in this review, certainly no more than you would be able to glean from the trailer, however it might be best to stop reading now, if you haven’t seen it, and then return to this review once you have. 

And you should absolutely see it. 

It will come as no shock to fans of Edgar Wrights previous work that Last Night in Soho is a sensory delight, delivering captivating neon visuals, an atmospheric score and soundtrack, and beautiful cinematography which will engage the audience almost immediately. 

Steven Prices terrific score pulls you, almost imperceptibly, into the films world, building a tension that you don’t even notice until you get a moments relief, and the 60’s soundtrack that accompanies it perfectly encapsulates the era, and compliments the impeccable period detail on show.

The period detail is something that warrants singling out. The fashion, which is such a big part of the narrative, the set designs, right down to the way the characters move and speak, feel natural and you can tell that each scene has been design with painstaking attention.

Paul Machliss’s editing, whilst undoubtedly an incredibly difficult task, looks instinctive to the viewer. In particular a scene early on at a club, and a dance number between the leads, looks perfectly natural, and I would love to see behind the scenes footage to see exactly how it was pulled off. 

The switch between eras is done without fanfare, but in a way that you immediately accept, and Wright, Machliss, and cinematographer Chung-hoon Chung, deserve huge credit for the way in which everything blends seamlessly together, as the two worlds begin to bleed into one another.

Thomasin McKenzie, who I first saw as Elsa in the brilliant Jojo Rabbit, fully embodies the lead role of Ellie and makes us believe in a character that would, in other, less capable, hands, require belief to be suspended. 

For such a young actor, she seems to be picking incredibly interesting roles, and it is genuinely exciting to see where she goes in the future.

Anya Taylor-Joy is also excellent as Sandy. If The Queens Gambit made her a household name, Last Night in Soho is a showcase for her range, and her renditions of Downtown manage to convey both the hope the character feels, and the tragedy that the audience will feel is inevitable. Both versions of the song - Uptempo and Downtempo - are available on Spotify and have been played on repeat in my flat over the couple of days since I saw the movie.

Matt Smith brings a physicality to the character of Jack, which belies the charm and hints at things to come. He is an engaging screen presence who demands that you watch, even at the times that you would rather look away. 

There were a couple of plot points which perhaps didn’t fit for me, however I have confidence that a second viewing - and there will definitely be one - will tie them up. It feels like a script where nothing is left to chance, every line deliberate and thoughtful, and I am sure there is a lot that I missed early on that will play into the final act.

Lines that seemed throwaway at first started to come back to me as the film reached its conclusion, making me simultaneously admire the intelligence of the script and feel dumb that I didn’t pick up on it sooner.

At its heart Last Night in Soho is a mystery, and even if you strip it away to its bones, it’s a mystery that works. A puzzle you will find yourself dying to solve, and even the pieces that, on first glance, appear to be missing, will, I’m sure, exist.

Last Night in Soho cements Edgar Wrights place as one of the most daring and exciting directors working today. He is an auteur who manages deliver films that are instantly recognisable as his, while still managing to be fresh.

There is so much more I want to say about this film, about the characters, about the performances, that I will refrain from. As I mentioned at the start, Last Night in Soho is best when you know as little as possible. 

It is a movie that feels like it was written specifically for me. Everything that I like is there.

Is it Edgar Wrights best film? Perhaps not. But when you have a back catalogue that includes Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz that’s hardly surprising. 

It is, though, without question his most ambitious film, and one that absolutely gives his previous films a run for their money. 

You certainly won’t have seen anything quite like it.