Earlier this year, THN caught up with actor Richard Brake to discuss his film, The Gates. During that conversation, Brake mentioned another project that he was particularly proud of, The Last Stop in Yuma County. Whilst he could not share too much about the project at the time, the film is now out in the world, having received its world premiere at Fantastic Fest. Written and directed by Franics Galluppi, The Last Stop in Yuma County is almost unbelievably Galluppi’s feature debut. A creative with a strong background in short film and music video, Galluppi seamlessly transitions to long-form narrative with this delightfully dark humoured thriller.
Set amidst the desert landscape of Arizona, an eclectic group find themselves stranded within the confines of a diner. The reason for them being stranded is that each of them is in need of fuel, which the local gas station is currently out of. Being the only station for a hundred miles, each new traveller reluctantly seeks sanctuary and rhubarb pie from the diner next door. This is not a typical day though as amongst their number, two of the patrons are criminals on the run. As their unease about potentially being caught intensifies, so too does the atmosphere. It is clear from early on that events are going to get nasty, and when the proverbial shit does eventually hit the fan, it’s all out calamity and chaos.
Galluppi paints The Last Stop in Yuma County together with shades of grey. Tonally, the film veers between being taut and intense and almost farcically humorous. It’s an elegant black comedy with sunshine Western aesthetics; an odd pairing, but one that works. Grey is further coloured into the piece through the characters. Each of the ever growing array of strangers has their own reason for travelling, some innocent, others less so. More interesting, many of these characters are themselves shades of grey, several purporting innocence, but masking a devious streak. Scenes between the group become increasingly more intense, eventually leading to a brilliant breakout scene.
With so many complex characters to populate the world, Galluppi has lucked out with some of the industries best and brightest. Reading the cast list for The Last Stop in Yuma County is akin to reading a who’s who of independent cinema. The crowning jewel is Jim Cummings who once more fuses together the desperate charm of a man on the brink. It’s a role that the multi-hyphen star has become synonymous with, and he plays it to perfection. Richard Brake is once again on form, as is Barbara Crampton in a small but enjoyable role. The real surprises come from the trio of Sam Huntington, Alex Essoe, and Connor Paolo who flex some incredible comedic muscles. Huntington is of course known for working within the comedy field, but Paolo and Essoe are less known, and in this feature they provide proof that they should be hired for more comedic roles immediately.
The story itself is relatively straightforward, Galluppi exploring the age-old constant that greed trumps everything. The crime duo are fleeing a successful bank robbery, and as news percolates through the diner, fear of being stranded with them makes way for ideas of turning the tables on them. Quite how successful anyone may or may not be we will leave a mystery, but Galluppi presents some nifty ideas. A well constructed debut feature that finds itself strongest in the shades of grey. The Last Stop in Yuma County updates the concept of a Mexican standoff beautifully.
The Last Stop in Yuma County
Summary
A Mexican standoff unafraid to get a little wacky, The Last Stop in Yuma County is a marvellously entertaining debut.
The Last Stop in Yuma County was reviewed at Fantastic Fest 2023.
