Movie Review: Last Call blends psychological thrill with emotional depth

“Last Call” is a 2024 thriller movie that was produced by Lanre Awolokun, and written/directed by Shola Thompson. Cinefix production handled the overall production of the movie.

We must say the movie brings a breath of fresh air with its fresh perspective, as it is not every day we see a movie with only two personas conversing for most of the scenes, and it doesn’t veer us into a state of sheer boredom; instead, it blends psychological thrills with emotional depth.

The movie features a cast ensemble including new and seasoned actors like Oshuwa Tunde Imoyo, Valentine Ohu, Halimat Ganiu, Laura Pepple, Obi Maduegbuna, Bimbo Oshin, Seun Ajayi and Zainab Balogun who brought their A-game to the scenes.

Set in Lagos State, the movie follows the ordeal of a popular radio show host and influencer, Hauwa, played by Zainab Balogun, who prepares to step down from her job as a host on her radio show; hence, she gets ready to say goodbye.

However, her last live-in show takes a perilous turn when she engages in a terrifying conversation with a psychotic caller who has kidnapped her mother. The caller insists that to save her mother’s life, Hauwa must expose her darkest secret on air.

The characters of the movie perform commendably no matter how long or how fleeting they are shown.

Zainab Balogun gives an outstanding performance playing the main character Hauwa, seeing as the strength of the movie majorly depended on her character as she was the only person depicted on our screen for most of the movie.

Then, she played her character with depth and conviction, showing us her vulnerability and strength. Her expressions were superb as she transitioned between different moods and emotions.

The storyline is great as it not only takes on a fresh perspective that we don’t get to see play out often in the Nollywood space but also takes us into the lives of the different characters tied to the activities of Hauwa’s last call.

It takes place mostly in the radio showroom, with conversations between two personas majorly, that is Hauwa and the abductor at the other end of the call and occasional depiction of other characters in the movie.

Although the plot is great, there are some drawbacks, for instance, there were some subplots in the movie that could have been developed properly as they left us with questions, also some scenes were unnecessarily dragged like the third act which was used to create another subplot.

The experience of mostly seeing two people and a few location settings in a Nollywood movie is relatively fresh, so any unnecessarily dragged scene can pose a turn-off to viewers. 

The movie “Last Call” explores different important themes in the media sphere and in general society that resonate with viewers.

The movie explores the role radio presenters and other forms of media personnel like bloggers play in society, how they play a huge role in influencing public perception and the plight of some individuals due to the news they dish out there about these persons, for example how Hauwa’s ridicule of Irene on air led to her demise.

Additionally, the movie also explores fan idolisation and the pain fans go through when their idol do not perform or live up to their expectations. In all, it explores the intricacies of the media world.

One of the standout features of the movie is its minimalistic approach, focusing majorly on the intense conversation between Hauwa and her mother’s abductor; the two-person feature creates a seemingly claustrophobic atmosphere as tension increases and a life hangs on a balance.

The confined space Hauwa was in intensified the emotional impact of the movie as it elicited a sense of urgency. 

Conclusively, “Last Call” is one movie that leaves a lingering impact, forcing viewers to reflect on the complexities of human relationships and the unforeseen consequences of one’s actions.

From us at Kemi Filani, it is 7.5/10 for the movie“Last Call.”