Last Ferry is a 2019 mystery film. It is set on Fire Island and follows the story of a gay attorney who is drugged and robbed while visiting the island and tries to return home after witnessing a murder. It received a Jury Award for Best US Feature at the 2019 NCGLFF.
| Last Ferry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Jaki Bradley |
| Written by | Ramon O. Torres |
| Produced by | Ramon O. Torres Michael D. Karp Nadia Zoe Matthew Silverman |
| Cinematography | Alexa Wolf |
| Music by | Wonderly |
Production company | Emblematic Pictures |
Release date |
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Running time | 86 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot edit
The screenplay was inspired in part by the 2016 horror film The Wailing and the 2013 gay mystery Stranger by the Lake.[1] The story centers around a young lawyer from Manhattan named Joseph who takes a trip to Fire Island in search of the island's infamous parties and events[2] He finds the island is in its off-season without the aforementioned events or visitors. He meets a stranger who winds up drugging and robbing him. While partially unconscious, Joseph witnesses a murder and narrowly escapes being killed himself. He wakes up in the care of a local named Cameron whom he later develops feelings for, momentarily forgetting about the murder while the murderer reemerges among Cameron's friends.[2]
Cast edit
Reception edit
Last Ferry has screened at numerous film festivals.[1] It was an official selection at Frameline 43,[4] as well as BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival,[citation needed] NCGLFF, and TLVFest.[5] It also received a Jury Award for Best US Feature at the 2019 NCGLFF.[6] As of spring 2020, the movie is available on Netflix (US).
The film received mixed reviews from critics, with many noting its failure to explore some of the deeper themes and minor storylines presented. Robert Levin at Newsday noted that the film was a cliché of its genre, stating "It's formulaic and pedestrian when it should be treading mysterious psychological depths", but also said that viewers would not feel "cheated" if they did watch the film.[7]
Almost all reviews praised the film's cinematography and atmosphere. Dylan Andresen at Film Threat said that the film's cinematography was "top-notch, on par with anything I’ve seen recently in theaters".[8]
References edit
- ^ a b Hereford, Andre (15 August 2019). "Spotlight: 'Last Ferry' at Landmark's E Street Cinema". Metro Weekly.
- ^ a b Goldstein, Gary (29 August 2019). "Review: LGBTQ thriller Last Ferry can't master its multiple story threads". The Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c Kramer, Gary (27 June 2019). "Hits and Misses from the Final Days of Frameline43". San Francisco Bay Times.
- ^ Reddish, David (16 June 2019). "Fab at Frameline43: 'Sid & Judy,' 'Socrates,' 'Before You Know It,' 'Cubby' and more". Queerty.
- ^ "2019 Schedule". TLVFest.
- ^ "2019 NCGLFF Jury Award Winners" (PDF). Carolina Theatre.
- ^ "Review: Fire Island drama 'Last Ferry' could've been so much more". Newsday. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
- ^ "Last Ferry | Film Threat". 2019-11-26. Retrieved 2020-07-19.