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I really love what-if films: take a fantastic event that would change everything, like the return of Jesus, or the discovery of longevity treatment [actually thinking of John Wyndham’s awesome book, The Trouble With Lichen, here], or, in Last Night’s case, the end of the world, and plonk it into realism and explore what would happen.

Last Night does this in a self-consciously underwhelming way, focusing on only a few characters, with little explanation of events going on around them, and using a lot of awkward dialogue and body language. It also had a nice sense of silliness (some would say ‘black humour’, but I think silliness is a better description) that doesn’t take away its ability to be serious. For me, the film worked because it woke up my curiosity and sense of possibilities: what would happen? It felt full of imaginary alternative films where events turned out differently, or the same scenario was explored but with entirely different characters and tones and conclusions. It also made me imagine how I would react if I knew the world would end, and how that might happen (and how else that might happen), and what the people I love might do or think or say. And that then led to conversation once the film was over and a nice sense that I had taken something away with me.

It reminded me of watching a play you have seen performed many times before – often a rewarding experience precisely because your brain is contrasting and comparing one interpretation with another and is remarkably more open to the possibilities of the text, not just one incarnation.

Pretentiousness aside: I like Sandra Oh. She makes me wish I could make everything all better at the same time as making me feel like we live in a world where things fall apart. That has nothing to do with the film. I think I’d feel the same if I saw her in line at the supermarket. On an entirely different note, I was surprised to read on Wikipedia that this was apparently voted the ninth greatest Canadian film of all time by Playback magazine (full list here). What about Guy Maddin?

One to watch with friends. Four stars.