A young waitress finds herself battling against a group of killers over the course of one long night in Alan Scott Neal’s feature debut, Last Straw. Told over the course of one twenty-four hour period, Last Straw joins Nancy (Jessica Belkin) as she prepares for work. Her preparations include sitting in her car smoking weed with her BFF, before dressing en-route whilst driving; there is a distinct sense that Nancy doesn’t care for her job. Recently promoted to manager by the Diner’s owner and her father, Nancy is bored of her small town life. Unable to find her place in the world, she spends her free-time partying, and in the wake of several one-night stands, now finds herself pregnant with no idea who the father is.
Accessing Nancy’s way of life and vantage point is an immediate vital component to the success of Last Straw. All the stress factors in Nancy’s life compound, and after having to deal with some unsavoury customers, she snaps. She blasts the staff with a tirade of aggression and inadvertently fires one of them. With no other option, Nancy must stay to work the graveyard shift alone, a decision she will soon come to regret. Last Straw may sound like a standard invasion movie, but Neal works in several interesting tricks. One of these sees Neal turn the camera onto Nancy’s tormentors, filling in their back story. This new information will not necessarily change viewer opinions, but it does shine a light on the damaging nature of toxic masculinity.
The only woman in a male-dominated diner, Nancy is constantly fighting off of lewd looks, inappropriate comments, and line-crossing. It is a fate that many will relate too, and has been seen before so often on screen. Nancy is not a shy and retiring wallflower however, she is a powder-keg who routinely shoots off sparks. She clearly makes little in tips if the demeanour she presents here is anything to go on. That she is so abrasive is one of Last Straw’s greatest strengths. Not every character who finds themselves under attack has to be presented as a meek, innocent victim, especially if they are female. Belkin does a fantastic job as Nancy and makes her an instant icon to the female contingent of the audience with her kick-ass, no-nonsense attitude to life.
On the opposing side of Nancy’s strength are several groups of men who represent both toxic and fragile masculinity. A woman in charge is seen as a threat to them as men, and in their eyes, excuses later behaviours. These male characters take on the views and opinions of small minded America. Nancy is viewed as an oddity that needs to be stomped out, a woman who needs putting in her place. The warring viewpoints are reflected in Last Straw’s enigmatic time period. Whilst characters possess mobile phones, the diner has a dial turn phone. Last Straw throws modern and old technology around, perfectly reflecting the internal and external war between those that blindly follow tradition and those that refuse to conform.
There is a savagery to the violence in Last Straw that has a quantifiable impact on the viewer. Neal is careful not to give too much too soon, and even when he does, the gore is not excessive. It is the act alone that should shock, not necessarily what it looks like. Each slash of violence is laced with a palpable aggression, helping to boost tension and startle the audience. The contrasting sides of the story combine to tell a cohesive whole, making Last Straw an enticing feature debut.
Last Straw
Summary
An interesting handling of gender politics and small town mindsets is supercharged in Alan Scott Neal’s exciting debut.
Last Straw was reviewed at Sitges. Last Straw will also screen at Beyond Fest.
