Two enigmatic women spark unexpected connections among the regulars at a neighborhood bar, drawing everyone into their mysterious allure. As closing time approaches, the true reason for their presence comes to light, revealing a dark and unsettling twist that changes everything.
_Last to Leave_, directed by Mary Elizabeth Ellis, is a whirlwind of a short film debut. While we are familiar with Ellis for her acting credits in _It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, A Man on the Inside, and Red One_, she proves her potential as a proficient behind-the-scenes crew member in this eight-minute short. Ellis' writing debut was in 2008 with the charming Mo Perkins drama _A Quiet Little Marriage_, in which she co-starred with her husband, Charlie Day; however, _Last to Leave_ proves a potential that we haven't seen before.
_Last to Leave_ is one of those films that leaves you with a bewildering amount of respect for technicians, makeup artists, costume designers, and every last crew member who brought this short film to life. In such a short amount of time, it can reel you in, give you an unsettling feel of something being wrong, and shock you with its ending. I think this film works best as a short, for the mere purpose of presenting itself similarly to other "person is revealed to be a monster in disguise" movies.
Some actors in this are familiar to me from other projects - I am a massive Mary Elizabeth Ellis fan and have seen almost everything she has been in*, I watched Ginger Gonzaga in 2022's _She-Hulk: Attorney at Law_, and Briana Venskus I recognised from _Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D._ and _High Potential_ 1x12 - and they all manage to keep up the brilliant performances that they've previously shown. To be honest, I don't know why they're not in more things!
Overall, this is a perfectly creative and concise short film, which I can't wait to rewatch.
*I also love to show off the fact that Mary Elizabeth Ellis and Charlie Day made me a personalised video a few months ago, wishing me luck getting into film school - I can confirm I am now writing this from my dorm at my dream film school! I love MEE and Charlie, and they have inspired me beyond words.
