Do you like stylish retro single-location thrillers unfolding in real-time? The ones that feature a Tarantinoesque story full of twists, tense atmosphere, and clever script? If you do, I’ve got great news for you! The Last Stop in Yuma County is a juicy crime thriller infused with a healthy dose of both humor and violence you need to check out. The story takes us back to the seventies, to a lonely diner next to a gas station in the middle of nowhere. As noon ticks by, various weary travelers will find themselves in this godforsaken place. They will find themselves in this godforsaken place not knowing that a huge clusterfuck is about to happen.
That’s all I’m going to tell you about the story. The Last Stop in Yuma County is one of those movies you need to dive in head first. Especially if you’re a fan of all the above-mentioned elements. And let’s make one thing clear straight away: just because you didn’t hear about this movie it doesn’t mean it’s bad. The production values are excellent and the direction tight. This is Francis Galluppi’s debut and I expect great things from him in the future. I mean, when the guy started talking about his grandson and how he moved to Waco to sing and play guitar at church in Mount Carmel, I fucking lost it.
It’s the little things like this that make a big movie. And make no mistake, this indie thriller is punching way above its weight class. And on top of that, we’ve got a dependable cast that did a terrific job. None other than The Night King himself from The Game of Thrones, Richard Brake plays the lead role. The man was born to play a bad guy although he did just as good of a job in Doom for example. Opposite of him we have Jocelin Donahue whom I still remember from The House of The Devil. And a special shoutout goes to horror legend Barbara Crampton. However, I think that Jim Cummings as the knife salesman and Nicholas Logan as the twitchy Travis stole the show here with their performances.
The setting is as iconic as it gets and a true blast from the past. We will be spending most of our time in a classic seventies diner complete with a jukebox. I found it so refreshing to go back to this decade. A time without cell phones, the Internet, and all the modern commodities we enjoy today. What can I say, I love this sort of escapism. Moreover, all around us is a picturesque desert realm. And you know me, give me a desert setting and I’m a happy camper. Now that I think about it, I say the same thing about the snowy setting. And I quite like it when the story takes place in untouched forests and mountain ranges. What I actually wanted to say is that I like it when the setting is well-defined.
Stereotypical, yes, but also immersive, evocative, and somewhat exotic. Can you call The Last Stop in Yuma County a neo-noir movie? Well, I think you can, especially when you consider the ending. Sure, the storytelling is sluggish sometimes for those expecting a bit more action. And I guess the script could’ve been better. However, considering just how few good movies we get in this very specific subgenre, I think that this one is a welcome addition.
This brings me to a couple of movie recommendations for all of you who might like this sort of thing. First up we have Pawn, also taking place in a diner but at night. If it’s daytime and the desert you want, Retroactive is a perfect choice. And as a bonus, I’ll leave you with Albino Alligator and Bad Times at the El Royale.
Director: Francis Galluppi
Writer: Francis Galluppi
Cast: Jim Cummings, Jocelin Donahue, Richard Brake, Nicholas Logan, Michael Abbott Jr., Faizon Love
Fun Facts: The brand of knives our traveling knife salesman is selling is Ōdachi. They’re actually a type of traditionally made Japanese swords used by the samurai. To classify as an Ōdachi the blade must be at least 90.9 cm or 35.8 in long.
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IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11674730/
