Last the Night

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Last the Night
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Last the Night is a pandemic-set thriller about a fed-up high school teacher (Brian Austin Green) who hunts down his students at school. It's as disturbingly violent as it sounds, with graphic, bloody shootings of teens at school, as well as depictions of them running and hiding through the hallways. It also presents an uncomfortably sympathetic portrayal of a middle-aged White man who feels that the world has unfairly made him out to be a "bad guy" -- so he snaps and chooses to become exactly that. The four teens who are his targets are diverse, but two are outrageously awful: One is misogynistic and makes sexually inappropriate jokes with crass language ("blow," "d--k," etc.), while the other is exaggeratedly "woke" and brags that she intends to lie about a teacher touching her. The other two teens go along with their friends and make some poor choices but are portrayed more heroically. One is brave and puts others' needs before his own, and the other is smart and demonstrates lateral thinking skills. Expect heavy drinking and profanity ("c--t," "f--k," and much more) throughout. Adults drink and use pot while working in a school setting, and there's a brief glimpse of teens engaging in some type of sexual activity.
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What's the Story?
When high school history teacher Mr. Dunbar (Brian Austin Green) overhears a group of his students laughing at him, he decides to teach them a lesson. Surprising them at school after hours, a game of paintball turns into a game of survival, and the winner is whoever can LAST THE NIGHT.
Is It Any Good?
Writer-director Nick Leisure has made a shoot-'em-up film that's dangerously bad. It wants to be a modern-day Falling Down, a cult classic that's reviled as much as it is revered. But Leisure is no Joel Schumacher. Like the main character in that psychological thriller, history teacher Mr. Dunbar is intended to be seen as an anti-hero. He's initially shown as a loving father with a gentle demeanor who's isolated by the pandemic, going through a divorce, and not allowed to see his daughter. With quarantine in place, he teaches a group of disengaged and disrespectful high schoolers online. The opening line is a student calling George Washington a "bitch" because he enslaved people, while Dunbar tries to find a way to explain that it was a different time. This is intended to encourage viewers to sympathize with Dunbar's feelings that the world is changing -- and, with it, his status. When he overhears a group of diverse students in a breakout session in their online classroom, he realizes that he (and, it's implied, all middle-aged White men) is now the punch line ... and the punching bag. So Dunbar decides to take back his power by hunting and gunning the kids down at school.
It's truly unclear what Leisure is hoping to accomplish with this insensitively revolting plot. Dunbar has the American flag hanging on his wall, he pushes back against wearing a mask, and he whistles "The Star-Spangled Banner" and "America the Beautiful" while entrapping the teens. He's portrayed as unstable but also with sympathy. Is Leisure pointing the finger at this type of "patriot," a word that's come to have double meaning in the United States? Or is this supposed to be a revenge fantasy for a generation of men who feel that the rug has been pulled out from under them? Either way, it suggests that victims -- and society -- are to blame. With school shootings a frightening real-life issue, Leisure's approach is both tactless and reckless. Last the Night is an example of a situation in which a filmmaker's lack of talent and common sense could actually risk fueling the flames of a vulnerable person looking to validate their world view. And, even if you remove all of the artistic irresponsibility, the script is illogical and poorly executed. This high school thriller should be expelled.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Last the Night's violence. Is violence celebrated in this film? What affect does that have on viewers? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Last the Night's main character is initially portrayed sympathetically before he takes heinous actions. How does that affect your feelings toward him? Is there a danger in making someone who does bad things sympathetic?
The filmmaker is Asian American and has been outspoken about using his films to defy harmful stereotypes. Considering that, what do you think his intent was in regard to diversity and stereotypes in this film?
How are drinking and drug use depicted? Are they glamorized? What do you think is meant to be implied when Dunbar is seen always drinking out of a can?
Movie Details
- In theaters: July 1, 2022
- On DVD or streaming: July 1, 2022
- Cast: Brian Austin Green, Acoryé White, Makena Taylor
- Director: Nick Leisure
- Studio: Vertical Entertainment
- Genre: Thriller
- Topics: High School
- Run time: 87 minutes
- MPAA rating: NR
- Last updated: July 6, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love positive films about high school
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