Last Encounters Review: The Last Days of Sylvia Plath

Last Encounters is a short film made with good intentions that, despite featuring talented actors, never manages to live up to its potential.

Reviewing independent short films is always tricky, because one knows how hard it is to make them and because, such as in this case, they tend to be passion projects, made with limited budgets and resources and in little time. But as a reviewer, one has to set all that information aside and talk frankly about the final product, and in the case of Last Encounters, despite having been made with evident good intentions, I can’t say the finished film totally enthralled me.

Last Encounters takes place in the Winter of 1963, and follows famed author and poet Sylvia Plath (Anderson) during her final days, before she took her own life. Thus, we see her interacting with neighbour Trevor Thomas (Alistair Petrie) who, like her, has just moved to a new building in London. At first, they don’t like each other much at all, but gradually a friendship starts blossoming between them, making it evident that they’re two lonely souls who have managed to find each other in unlikely circumstances.

Considering it’s based on real events and features extremely talented actors, Last Encounters could have been something special. Granted, stories centred on unlikely friendships are a dime a dozen, but that doesn’t mean something emotionally resonant or truthful couldn’t be made with such a premise. Which is why it’s so disappointing that, despite all the talent on screen, Last Encounters doesn’t really manage to gel. The film feels more like an acting reel than a well-rounded story, with uneven pacing, weird shot selection, and even a couple of technical errors.

Once again: I know making an independent short film is hard (I’ve been there!), and it’s possible both actors had limited time in their schedules to set aside for this project. But especially considering their presence in the movie, it is unacceptable for Last Encounters to have a couple of sound recording errors (including a shot early in the proceedings with slightly out-of-sync dialogue), and even a shot inside a car with an incredibly distracting (and modern-looking) blinking light. I guess most of these mistakes could have been avoided if the production had had more time in their hands, but it’s nevertheless disappointing to have them in here.

None of this means Last Encounters is a complete misfire, though. Predictably, the acting is one of its stronger suits. Amber Anderson (who was legitimately great in Autumn de Wilde’s Emma.) plays Sylvia Plath as a complicated person. She’s a woman who’s clearly going through tough times, and who needs someone to talk to. And Alistair Petrie (one of those faces who’s been in everything, from Neil Marshall’s Hellboy to Rogue One: a Star Wars Story and the recent Magpie) is subtly credible as Trevor Thomas, playing him as a decidedly gentle soul with a tough and serious exterior.

Nevertheless, they’re stuck in a story that never manages to be as emotional as it should be, and that could have benefited from a less straightforward directing style. There are things to like in Last Encounters: the performances, the real-life locations and little moments that take advantage of its protagonists’ talents (the way they look at each other, their reactions and all the things left unsaid). But between its uneven pacing, out-of-place technical errors and unimaginative direction, I can’t say I loved the movie. I definitely wanted to, but good intentions weren’t enough to make this a completely satisfying experience.