The Last Matinee (2020) 〈2024〉

Red Velvet and Cold Steel: Why The Last Matinee is a Love Letter to Cinema

Be warned: when the violence hits, it hits hard. This is a giallo, after all. The kills are creative, practical, and unflinchingly gruesome. There’s a specific focus on the eyes—a recurring trope in Italian horror—that will have even seasoned horror fans squinting through their fingers. Why You Should Watch It

If you’re the kind of person who finds comfort in the smell of stale popcorn and the flicker of a 35mm projector, (2020)—originally titled Al Morir la Matinée —is a movie made specifically for you. Directed by Uruguayan filmmaker Maxi Contenti, this neo-giallo slasher doesn’t just pay homage to the genre; it marinates in it. A Rainy Night at the Movies The Last Matinee (2020)

While many modern slashers lean into irony, The Last Matinee plays it straight with a heavy dose of style. The cinematography is drenched in primary colors—mostly deep, blood-reds and cold blues—reminiscent of Dario Argento’s Suspiria .

The Last Matinee is more than just a body count movie. It’s a nostalgic, somewhat tragic look at the death of the theatrical experience. As the killer dismantles the audience, there’s a subtext about the vanishing magic of cinema-going. Red Velvet and Cold Steel: Why The Last

The setup is beautifully simple: on a torrential rainy night in 1993 Montevideo, a small group of strangers gathers in a grand, fading cinema. Little do they know, a silent killer is stalking the aisles, picking off patrons one by one while a cheesy horror movie plays on the big screen.

It’s a classic "trapped in one location" setup, but Contenti uses the theater’s architecture—the red velvet curtains, the labyrinthine projection booth, and the shadowy balcony—to create a suffocating sense of dread. Style Over Everything There’s a specific focus on the eyes—a recurring

The film is light on dialogue but heavy on atmosphere. You can almost feel the stickiness of the floors and the hum of the projector. It’s a slow-burn experience that prioritizes mood and "the vibe" over complex plotting, making it a feast for the eyes. The Gore Factor