I was lucky enough to see Last Girl
Standing at this years Eerie Horror Film Fest in Erie, PA. The film
pitches a unique idea that instantly interested me: what happens to
the final girl after the horror movie ends? The idea has been
explored before in sequels such as Friday the 13th, Part
2, where Adrienne King's Alice gets killed, Neve Campbell throughout
the never ending twists and turns of the Scream series, and countless
others like that. But what would happen in the real world to somebody
who survived a killer straight out of a slasher movie?
Last Girl Standing focuses on the life
of Camryn (Akasha Villalobos), the only survivor of a brutal massacre
during a camping trip with some friends only to still be haunted five
years later by the terrible memory and image of the killer. The
killer wore an animal head with horns over his own in a sadistic
manner and it was truly a disturbing sight! For a killer who is only
on screen for about 5 minutes (he gets killed), the filmmakers did a
good job in making him memorable.
Camryn has been living a quiet life in
an apartment that looks like she hasn't finished moving into and
working at a dry cleaners since the incident happened. Actress Akasha
Villalobos does a stellar job in portraying the paralyzed stillness
and tortured silence that Camryn's life has become. There are scenes
that show her brushing her teeth when she will suddenly stop and look
at her closed shower curtain as a heavy breathing fills the bathroom,
unexpectedly back in the grip of the killer. These are powerful
moments that are very effective and show the sudden dread that can
take over her life at any moment. She may not have died that night in
the woods, but her life stopped and Villalobos superbly encompasses
this feeling in her performance.
When a new employee gets hired at the
dry cleaners, Nick (Brian Villalobos), the visions Camryn has of the
killer start to intensify. This is in conjunction with the 5 year
anniversary of the killings and Camryn seems to not trust the new
employee. Late one night a break in happens at the dry cleaner when
Camryn is there alone and she sees glimpses of the killer and swears
he is after her again. When the cops come, they advise her not to be
alone and, having no where else to go, Nick offers his place where
Camryn meets his roommates.
The film takes it's time as Camryn
establishes relationships with these people and seemingly makes
friends with most in the group. Although her visions of the killer
resume as well as the belief that he is after her, she appears to
have a support system with these new friends in place to help her.
While the group question her believability and sanity, it is clear
that something is following Camryn, they just aren't sure what. The
pacing of the film is slow and really takes it's time to build up to
it's final act. Don't get me wrong here, the slow burn approach is
very effective and serves a purpose as it strongly establishes the
necessary relationships that come in to play later in the film. After
being immersed in the world and characters of the film, the viewer's
patience is more than rewarded with a brilliantly set up ending full
of chaotic slasher goodness! It's pacing reminded me of another
brilliant independent horror gem from the past year called Pieces of
Talent.
Last Girl Standing is a character study
of the idea of 'The Final Girl' and what realistic effect such a
label from a horrible situation could potentially have on a person.
It's a smart horror film with great production value and strong
performances from the whole cast. Last Girl Standing is on the
festival circuit as of this writing and if you get the chance to see
it do not pass it up, it will be the movie you are talking about when
you leave.
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