Last Night (1998)

"It's your last night on earth. Go out in style." A group of very different individuals with different ideas of how to face the end come together as the world is expected to end in six hours at the turn of the century.

REVIEW "Last Night" is a fascinating little film by writer/director Don McKellar. Dry-witted illusions and startling visuals open the film. It soon becomes clear that the world and it's inhabitants have only six hours remaining. The film follows how several residents of the Toronto area fill those final hours. It's never clearly stated exactly what has caused the world's condition, nor is that an important part of the story here. The main focus of the film are the characters, such as Patrick Wheeler (played by McKellar) who is a terribly lonely guy who struggles to even see his family for one last time. He wishes to end it all alone, which seems to be how he lived. Then there's his friend Craig, who is using a variety of untried sexual practices as a means to connect with someone. Isolation and loneliness are the central themes to the film. It's a recognizable representation of what the filmmaker feels would be most noticeable trait about people if all of our lives were suddenly stopped. Surprisingly, the film never becomes depressing, even as it touches on so many serious topics, including assisted suicide, but instead becomes an expression of "what if" and therefore is exceptionally thought-provoking. In fact it's a rather uplifting tale.