Looking for a taut psychological thriller that will keep you gripped throughout? Well, then it might be worth taking a look at Last Moment Of Clarity starring Samara Weaver (Bill & Ted: Face The Music, Ready Or Not), Brian Cox (X-Men2), Carly Chaikin (Mr. Robot) and Zach Avery (Fury).
3 years on from a personal tragedy, Sam (Avery) is still struggling to come to terms with the death of his girlfriend Georgia (Weaving) at the hands of some rather unpleasant Eastern European gangsters, he flees to Paris to hide. After watching a movie in a cinema, he starts to believe that the films star Lauren Clerk is actually his dead girlfriend Georgia. Thus starts a catalogue of events that the paranoid Sam tries to unravel before the gangsters he’s been hiding from all these years catch up with him one final time.
Last Moment Of Clarity works really well, setting itself up as a hitchcockian or Fincher-esque type mystery and it works for the most part too. The film moves at a sensible pace and despite some convenient moments (Running into his schoolfriend sister (Chaikin) who just so happens to be working at the premier of Clerk’s latest film) it keeps you guessing until Last Moment Of Clarity decides to reveal it’s secrets.
At this point the film reverts into a traditional thriller with our protagonist working against the clock, before the villains of the piece led by Udo Kier show up to silence Sam once and for all. However in the finale which just about works with a few more contrivances (Everyone at the end turns into a dead shot with a gun) the film wraps itself up without waisting too much time or over padding things, which is a welcome change as these types of finales tend to outstay their welcome. Although the final scene would have worked so much better with a bit more ambiguity.
The standouts from Last Moment Of Clarity are it’s two female stars in Weaving and Chaikin who are superb throughout, not waisting a scene or moment that they get. Weaving in particular is really carving out herself a really big spot as a future big screen star. Chaikin as well is the heart and soul of the move as she keeps Sam from dwelling too long anywhere and enables him to reach closure in the form that it takes. She also has all the best lines. The film is also punctuated by cameos from Brain Cox and Udo Kier, who show up chew some scenery and disappear just as quick. Much like the rest of the film, simple, striking and effective.
Last Moment Of Clarity is well worth your time and superbly written and directed by first time duo James and Colin Krisel. The end scene is the only thing that really leaves the viewer with possibly too much information, but can be forgiven consider the excellent cast manage to pull off everything they do so well.
Last Moment Of Clarity is released on digital in the UK 8 March 2021
