SXSW 2023: If You Were The Last Review

If You Were The Last is a story about two astronauts. Adrift in their broken-down space shuttle with little hope of rescue, two astronauts argue over whether they’re better off spending their remaining days as friends or something more.

THE GOOD

The humor in If You Were The Last takes some getting used to but once you do it’s pretty friggin funny! I did a double take at first at the cinematography because of the low-budget CGI. There’s a scene early in the movie where we see out the window and see outer space. This shot here might turn people off but further into the movie we see that this is intentional. The movie uses low-budget CGI and special effects to lull you into a sense of comfort. After we meet Adam and Jane I find myself laughing at the absurdity of the “special effects”. We sometimes get scenes showing the spaceship flying through space and the “special effects” ship juvenile. They actually look like they were made by young children with cardboard boxes and strings this helps to set the tone.

The chemistry between Anthony Mackie and Zoe Chao is cute. Both come off as a bit weird and awkward but things begin to make sense as we learn the circumstances of their situation. These two are stranded in space with their spaceship unable to provide navigation or communication back to Earth. We don’t initially see how long they’ve been there so understandably they may be a bit socially awkward. I think my favorite part might be when they start dancing. They have a lot of routines to fill out their day but definitely, the most fun(ny) is when they begin to dance. I feel like Anthony Mackie has two left feet but that doesn’t stop him from going all in and having fun with his performance and I’m here for it.

THE BAD

The low-budget effects can definitely be pretty off-putting. I definitely thought twice about watching If You Were The Last at first glance. There’s an overall juvenile look to the environment of the spaceship. The closest I can get to describing the looks of the spaceship is maybe the 1960s Star Trek TV show. Everything has large handles, big knobs, and super simplified computer screens. The look is intentional but it is definitely a deterrent because it doesn’t make a great first impression.

The pacing in If You Were The Last is inconsistent. There are moments when I found myself really immersed in the humor and then all of a sudden things get really serious. I just want to see Captain America try to grow weed and then they fudge it up by having these two have a philosophically deep conversation. I wanted to laugh more dammit. If you were the last is very serious and the contrast with the special effects is really tough to enjoy, all things considered.

Overall

If You Were The Last is a fun film but it’s also an acquired taste. This is not a movie that I would recommend to everyone but it’s enjoyable if you are willing to give this movie a chance.