First, a dream….then a reality…and for one ambitious influencer, desperate dreams heighten an even more desperate reality in Thomas J Ward‘s noir indie THE (FIRST) LAST SCREENPLAY.
Debbie Scott (Jane Lee Jones) is somebody who at first glance appears to be somebody who has it all. Like the best moguls such as Golan-Globus, (who at one point four decades ago seemed to be dominating the UK film industry with fingers in a number of pies including cinema exhibition, distribution and production) Debbie is keen to bring Hollywood to the UK and do what they do in Tinseltown at half the price.
However, things are coming to a head with the vision she has in mind causing doubts amongst potential investors and collaborators. At the heart of it is ageing Hollywood editor Richard Wadsworth (Andrew Norman) who seems to be struggling with her latest film, which appears to be the key to the future of her own legacy as well as the studio.
Before long, the fade and haze are starting to combine, along with the flow of vino. As a result, the various conspiracies combining to lead Debbie where she would rather not are starting to converge….
Atmospheric film within a film drama highlighting both the impractical and practical consequences of film-making in a yarn that probably mirrors what a lot of aspiring producers have tried to do since the decline of the likes of Ealing, Elstree and Rank downsized or passed into history.
At first glance, there is a sense that the film might veer off into a more dark horror yarn, given there are some moments that might suggest another film. However, the story sticks to a more dramatic context and focuses more on the descent into sadness of somebody who seems out of their depth.
Good performances all around, particularly from Jones who encapsulates somebody with ideas above their station at a time when reality shows like LOVE ISLAND and TRAITORS are raising the game on television concept shows.
THE (FIRST) LAST SCREENPLAY gets it’s ‘World Premiere’ as the ‘Opening Night Gala’ at the October edition of London Independent Film Festival 2026.
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