Poster of The Last of England

The Last of England

Drama, Fantasy

Director: Derek Jarman

Release Date: July 18, 1988

Where to Watch

I thought that The Last of England looked apocalyptic. Instead The Last of England is a poetry infused experimental punk rock inspired film that allegedly was inspired by Thatcher’s reign in London. Maybe The Last of England is a perfect artistic contribution to that era, but I have no idea. I usually try to rise to the challenge of experimental film, but I was not in the mood to take that journey so I got nothing from the viewing experience. If you ever watched Saturday Night Live when Mike Myers was a cast member, you may remember a long-running skit when he played Dieter on Sprockets. The skit would occasionally include a video clip of experimental black and white film called Germany’s Most Disturbing Home Videos. The Last of England felt like Dieter made it except it was less shocking. Sorry, The Last of England, but a bearded guy wearing a wedding dress, a shirtless guy humping a painting on the ground or tying off his arm is just another Thursday night in NYC when I was growing up. Yawn! The Last of England boasts that Tilda Swinton is in it, but she is only in the last 10 minutes so don’t bother unless you’re a super hardcore fan. The Last of England feels like a college film student’s thesis.

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