The Last Video Store (2023)
There's a version of watching The Last Video Store that works perfectly: it's late, you're on your own, you've got a soft drink and nothing else demanding your attention. Under those conditions, this 2023 Canadian comedy-horror from directors Tim Rutherford and Cody Kennedy is a decent enough way to pass the time. But here's the thing I keep coming back to: decent enough isn't really a ringing endorsement, is it?
To be fair to it, though, you have to judge a film on what it's actually trying to do. And what this one is trying to do couldn't be more obvious from the opening frames. It's a knowing, low-budget tribute to the 1980s video rental era, that glorious age of garishly painted VHS boxes, dodgy special effects and schlock horror that your parents probably didn't want you renting. The directors clearly grew up loving that stuff, and that affection is genuine. It comes through in every deliberately rough edge and every winking nod to the grindhouse aesthetic.
The story follows Nyla and Kevin, a pair of employees trying to keep their beloved video store afloat while chaos, and something more sinister, descends on the shop and its eccentric regulars. It's a simple setup, and it's meant to be. The film isn't interested in complex plotting. It wants to replicate the feel of those bargain-bin horrors you'd grab on a Friday night because the cover looked good and you'd already seen everything else. On that level, it absolutely delivers.
The cast are firmly in on the joke, which helps enormously. The acting is very much pitched at the campy, slightly stilted register of the films it's paying tribute to, but that reads as a deliberate choice rather than a limitation. Yaayaa Adams and Kevin Martin carry the thing with enough energy and charm to keep you watching, even when the script doesn't give them a great deal to work with. The whole production has a cheeky, good-natured warmth that's hard to actively dislike.
And yet. There's no getting around the fact that it doesn't quite have the sharp wit or the genuine thrills you'd need to make it a true crowd-pleaser. It sits in that slightly awkward middle ground where it's too self-aware to work as a straight horror and not quite funny enough to work as a full-blown comedy. I kept waiting for a scene or a gag that would really land with a punch, and it never quite arrived. Fans of micro-budget horror that commits fully to its bonkers premise might want to check out Castle Freak, which at least has the courage of its grotesque convictions in a way this film occasionally lacks.
I wouldn't put this on at a Friday night gathering with mates and a few beers. It doesn't have the energy or the memorable set pieces to hold a room's attention, and you'd probably end up on your phones by the halfway mark. Solo viewing is where it finds its natural home. A quiet evening, a soft spot for retro horror nonsense, and the right expectations. Set those correctly and it's a fun, breezy watch. Set them too high and you'll feel the gaps.
Two and a half stars. The Last Video Store does exactly what it says on the tin, and there's something genuinely likeable about a film that knows its lane and stays in it. I just wish it had occasionally swerved out of that lane a little, taken a risk, gone somewhere surprising. As a love note to a vanishing cultural institution, it's warm and sincere. As a film that'll stick with you, it's gone from your mind almost before the credits finish rolling.
Rating: ★★½ | Year: 2023 | Watched: 2026-06-12
Where to watch
Watch in the UK
Stream: Shudder · Arrow Video Amazon Channel · Shudder Amazon Channel
Rent: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Apple TV Store · Amazon Video · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon UK · Zavvi
Watch in the US
Stream: Philo · AMC+ Amazon Channel · AMC+ Roku Premium Channel · Shudder
Rent: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video · Apple TV Store · Google Play Movies · YouTube
Physical: Amazon US
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