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 .
Red Velvet and Cold Steel: Why The Last Matinee is a Love Letter to Cinema The Last Matinee (2020)
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. While many modern slashers lean into irony, The
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 It’s a nostalgic, somewhat tragic look at the
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
