Overview
As the clock ticks down to the end of the world, people scramble to fulfill their last wishes in a city buzzing with a mix of celebration and resignation.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- melancholic
- surreal
- late night viewing
- thoughtful movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as an engrossing, poignant, witty, and thoughtfully structured character-driven alternative to spectacle-heavy apocalypse movies.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The final hours are shown through ordinary characters pursuing personal plans while society calmly prepares for midnight.
Patrick, Sandra, Duncan, Craig, and the Wheeler family follow converging paths across Toronto.
The Toronto setting, predominantly Canadian cast, and restrained social response distinguish the film from spectacle-driven Hollywood apocalypse movies.
A somewhat deserted Toronto, workplace duties, family celebrations, and domestic encounters continue against the known deadline.
Films like Last Night, and why
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
quiet, character-driven apocalypse drama with bittersweet humor and intimate emotional stakes
The Day of the Triffids
ensemble end-of-the-world storytelling that favors human relationships and wry social observation over spectacle
The Ice Storm
surreal, melancholic ensemble comedy examining ordinary behavior under extraordinary existential pressure
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
thoughtful disaster satire built around personal choices, dark wit, and restrained rather than spectacular catastrophe
Movie Details
- Director
- Don McKellar
- Release Date
- 1998-10-23
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (172)
Cast
- Don McKellar
- Sarah Polley
- Roberta Maxwell
- Robin Gammell
- Trent McMullen
- Sandra Oh
- Charmion King
- Jessica Booker
- David Cronenberg
- Tracy Wright
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Last Night about?
- On Toronto’s final night before an expected apocalypse, strangers and families pursue intimate promises, unfinished business, and fleeting connection.
- What is Last Night like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Last Night as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Last Night violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Last Night.
- What did critics think of Last Night?
- Critics broadly praised the film as an engrossing, poignant, witty, and thoughtfully structured character-driven alternative to spectacle-heavy apocalypse movies.
- Which films are like Last Night?
- Films with a similar feel include Seeking a Friend for the End of the World, The Day of the Triffids, The Ice Storm, and Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.
- How long is Last Night?
- Last Night runs 94 minutes.
- Where can I watch Last Night?
- In United States, Last Night is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
