Beth (Sarah Booth) is having a frustrating evening. While driving to her night job as a janitor, she receives word about her twelve-year-old son who has yet to come home from going to the cinemas with a friend. She frantically contacts her babysitter while also trying to get another staff member to cover her shift for the evening. As she goes to work worried, stressed and upset, one of the phones in the office rings. A man named Scott (Daved Wilkins) is on the other end, having called the office by mistake. You see, Scott has spent his evening at his local bar and after having several drinks, he goes back to his apartment with thoughts of suicide. After staring at his phone for some time, he finally builds the courage to call the Suicide Prevention Hotline, but instead, he accidentally calls the office space where Beth is working alone for the evening.
At first, Beth was hoping the call was related to her missing son and offers to take Scott’s message. Soon she discovers the man on the other end of the phone is considering taking his life and she begins a new conversation with the stranger. What occurs next is a touching and unforgettable rollercoaster of emotion for each of these two characters.
For those who love technical details about the film making side of things, Last Call (2019) has been shot in two, true, single takes. Both shots were filmed simultaneously in two different locations- One shot for the character of Beth, the other for the character of Scott. The film has then been edited into a real-time feature via split-screen, which introduces a more dramatic experience when watching this film.
The use of split-screen is creative and effective. Showing both characters at the same time displays a situation that feels far more realistic. There are some moments of silence, sure, but there is always something happening with both characters making it near impossible to take your eyes off the screen. When there’s little occurring on screen, a powerful film score fills the silence, which brings me to the next positive point.
SPEICAL FEATURE – MAKING OF LAST CALL (2019)
The film features a tremendous score by Adrian Ellis. This score only heightens the film’s drama and tension, and I was amazed at how effective this soundtrack was from start to finish. Movie lovers will find the soundtrack quite moving, and naturally, I found this soundtrack was a beautiful complement to the on-screen performances.
Overall, this film impacted me greatly. It’s filled with excellent and touching performances by both Sarah Booth and Daved Wilkins. The filmmakers have tackled a challenging project, such as discussing themes about suicide and deciding to make the film in two, true, single takes as well as using split-screen for the entire duration. The risks and hard works have undoubtedly paid off. I found this film highly effective, and it’s simply impossible to forget what I witnessed as the credits rolled on my screen. It’s a dramatic film that led me to have tears in my eyes during critical moments, and I honestly had no idea how the film would end. It’s undoubtedly a film unlike anything I’ve seen before, and I’m confident the filmmakers and cast only have more extraordinary things to come in the future of cinema.
7.9/10
Last Call (2019) is Now Available on Digital (North America Only*)
Release Date for Australia is TBA*
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