‘The Last Stop In Yuma County’ Fantastic Fest 2023 Review: A Tense And Confident Crime Thriller
Westerns are often thought of as brooding men in cowboy hats riding into a town that just so happens to need their help. Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, what some would call “men’s men” in a 1980s masculinity kind of way. It’s a subgenre that appeals to a very specific audience and it may give you pause when you hear a film described as such. But, with his feature film debut The Last Stop In Yuma County, which had its world premiere at the 2023 Fantastic Fest, director Francis Galluppi transcends expectations of the Western to create a sun-bleached crime thriller that’ll have you on the edge of your seat. It’s a pitch-black comedy of errors with a massive body count and a stacked cast.
Jim Cummings plays a traveling knife salesman who makes a stop at a gas station in the middle of nowhere to fill up his tank. But, he quickly learns there’s no fuel left and there are no other gas stations for 100 miles. So, he posts up at the connected diner for a cup of coffee while he waits for the fuel truck to arrive. He slowly gets to know server Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue) as other unsavory guests trickle in, also waiting for much-needed gas.
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As the minutes tick by, the salesman and Charlotte realize the two new patrons Beau and Travis (Richard Brake and Nicholas Logan, respectively) may have just pulled off a massive bank heist. Soaked in yellows and browns to reflect the sun-bleached desert and pounding sun, tensions rise, secrets are revealed, and the threat of violence only grows. But on top of that, other characters with their own selfish motivations filter into the diner and complicate an already deeply complicated situation.
What unfolds is a Coen Brothers-esque folly where no one is who they say and no one is safe from the guns of desperate men. Galluppi writes these characters as interesting, but incredibly secretive. This places the viewer squarely in the diner and learning information alongside the rest of the cast; we’re never privy to anything, so the viewer never has the proverbial upper hand in knowing what’s going to happen next. We are in a constant state of worry because Galluppi never really lets us know what’s going to happen next. All I’ll say is that he knows how to shock and subvert expectations in terms of his pacing and acts of violence.
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With such a contained script that hinges on quick exchanges and tense dialogue, the acting is key for The Last Stop In Yuma County and every player delivers a hell of a performance. Cumming taps into his neurotic side as a nervous knife salesman just trying to see his daughter for her birthday. He’s the seemingly spineless coward at first that makes you cringe, but slowly reveals that he’s truly capable of. Then of course, Richard Brake serves us devious criminal perfection with his commanding voice and looming physicality. Special shout-out to Barbara Crampton’s cameo as the sheriff’s secretary with one incredible hair-do.
As is often the case in single-location thrillers, the diner-gas station combo itself becomes a character, a claustrophobic maze for characters to navigate as they fight for their lives. Director of Photography Mac Fisken makes the space feel both massive and tiny while also capturing the hot desolation just outside the front door. Everything about the film’s aesthetic feels dry and uncomfortable, almost sharp in its lighting but staying soft with its colors.
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If you love Westerns, then you’ll love Francis Galluppi’s feature film debut The Last Stop In Yuma County. If you don’t love Westerns, then you’ll love Francis Galluppi’s feature film debut The Last Stop In Yuma County. With a consistent visual style, twisty script, and stellar performances, Galluppi knocks it out of the park with his take on the crime thriller with a sprinkle of pitch-black comedy. While it wears its influences on its sleeve, the film is still able to form its own identity outside of the Western and exploitation films of the past. The Last Stop In Yuma County will keep you guessing until the very end and have your mouth open in shock as the credits roll.
This film was one of the biggest surprises of this year’s Fantastic Fest. So make sure to keep an eye on Dread Central for any news about its release!
Summary
Director Francis Galluppi transcends expectations of the Western to create a sun-bleached crime thriller that’ll have you on the edge of your seat.
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