The Last Seven

Directed by: Imran Naqvi

Starring: Tamer Hassan, Simon Philips, Sebastian Street, Daisy Head, Danny Dyer

Synopsis:

William Blake (Philips) finds himself lying in the middle of a deserted, Central London street with no knowledge of who he is or how he got there. After spending some time wandering the empty streets, becoming more and more anxious by the complete absence of people, he eventually encounters some others, including a soldier and a minister, who are in an identical predicament. As the small group try and find others, moments of their past flash through their minds like pieces of a puzzle. Who are they, and is there a connection between them?

Review:

Personally, I don’t hold a grudge against Danny Dyer. Yes, he’s made some questionable tv programmes on the likes of Bravo, but his films, such as Doghouse and Severence, have been very entertaining. But if you are a bit Dyer-averse, know that he generally keeps to the background here.

This kind of story has been done a number of times already, but this one is pretty decent. The setting for a start is pretty cool. The early scenes especially set the tone, not dissimilar to the start of 28 Days Later, as one of our protagonists tries to make contact with...anyone. From my own experience, I know how eerie it can be to be at a London landmark and have the whole place to yourself.

The acting is solid across the board, if not remarkable, with all the cast veterans of British tv. Simon Philips’ character is our way into the film, but Tamer Hassan is the one who draws your attention as the no-nonsense Sergeant Jack Mason. Ronan Vibert is also a stand-out as the quiet yet intense Isaac.

The film is presented in a classy fashion, which I think shows director Imran Naqvi’s background as a camera operator. The first shot is a slow spinning pull-back from a man’s watch, eventually drawing back enough to show us William Blake lying in the road. There’s a nice mix of wide and overhead shots to show the emptiness, interspersed with frames filled with our protagonists.

Quick jump-cut editing is used for the flash-backs but for once this isn’t annoying as these are meant to be fragmented, confusing and disorientating, not just for the viewer but the protagonists as well.

Another striking aspect is the near-complete lack of score. Some of the flash-backs have music, but the scenes set in the present don’t until towards the end. As the protagonists get closer to the truth about what is happening to them, a low rumbling bass-line can be heard in the background, slowly building in layers a revelatory score.

The story concept isn’t as new or unique as it might think it is, and genre viewers will likely have a good guess at what the protagonists’ predicament is, but it’s handled in a very slick fashion and the enjoyment comes from working out the why, rather than the what.

Verdict: The Last Seven is a slickly made, handsomely shot and entertaining puzzle-thriller. Yes, you’ll guess the big twist reasonably early, but the reasons behind it is where the enjoyment is.

7 out of 10 (MikeOutWest)

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