Director: Jeremy Berg
Writer: Jeremy Berg (Screenplay)
Starring: Steve Vanderzee, Eric Stone, Lowell Deo, Angela DiMarco, Meranda Long, Marcus Leppard
Plot: A stand-up comedian on the verge of breakout success must make a terrible choice when he discovers a murderer on the loose in the theater where he’s about to perform his biggest show.
Runtime: 1 Hour 21 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: The Last Laugh starts as stand-up comedian Myles (Vanderzee) is about to get his first big show, opening for the bigger comedian Reggie Ray (Deo), the pressure is on for Myles, but his medication is starting to wear off and when he finds a dead body in his dressing room, he is left with a big decision.
Preparing for the show however Myles meets the different employees of the theatre, but after a second death, he starts to think there is a killer in the theater and is left wanting to know what is more important to him, the show or human life.
Thoughts on The Last Laugh
Characters – Myles is a stand-up comedian, he has been grinding the small shows for years now, with tonight being his big break, opening for a popular comedian. Myles does have a troubled past which sees him struggling with the loss of his partner, though it isn’t clear whether she left him or passed away, which sees him needing medication to keep his head in the game, he is left with a big question, whether to complete the show or report the dead bodies he finds. Nelson is the manager of Myles, he got him this gig and looks to keep him focused for this show, which he knows could make him a lot of money too. Reggie Ray is the main act of the show tonight, a famous comedian that has been coming down on the success trail, but demands to be respected, despite not being as funny as he once was. Donna is the theater owner that has her own dreams of making it big in the industry, that also knows the pressure of the world they are in. we do get to meet the whole crew, with the killer lurking in the shadows looking for their latest victims.
Performances – Steve Vanderzee in the leading role does show us the dark mind of a comedian, one that is filled with tragedy that uses comedy to escape. When we look at the rest of the cast everyone makes us feel like they are natural within the theater industry.
Story – The story here follows a comedian on the verge of a big break only for him to discovery a dead body in his dressing room and it isn’t long before other people start getting killed of behind the scenes, leaving him wondering if this is a good idea to go through with or not. This is a horror slasher that does bring a different direction to everything, with only one person knowing about the kills, while the rest of the characters continuing on their day, it works to that level because we are left wondering as to who the killer is, with the suspect list seemingly getting longer as night goes on, mixed in with Myles own mental state. The story also highlights the fine line between success and the right thing, as people might risk more than they should for success.
Horror – The horror side of this film comes from seeing how the killer is killing people, the kills do feel like they have been taken from a slasher on the style of them.
Settings – The film keeps everything inside a theatre, which shows us more of the behind the scenes behavior of the staff and performers, while a killer lurks around.
Scene of the Movie – The stars.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – It doesn’t capture the tension of a killer.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun slasher horror that does everything to bring something new to the table by only have one character know about the killer, while balance mental illness with a potential serial killer.