Last Night in New York

Last Night in New York

Year: 2022

Runtime: 98 min

Language: English

Director: Matthew Miele

Documentary

The film explores the life of David Patrick Columbia, a man with a unique and long-standing connection to New York City. Through his perspective, the documentary reveals his upbringing within the world of Jackie Kennedy’s family and his personal journey of self-discovery. It delves into themes of social mobility and the challenges faced while pursuing one's ambitions, showcasing the importance of perseverance in achieving dreams within a complex urban landscape.

Dark
Bittersweet ending
Emotionally heavy
High intensity
Mixed pacing
Complex story

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – Last Night in New York (2022)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Last Night in New York (2022). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1960s and present day

Ellie’s life unfolds in the present while her visions plunge her into the 1960s club scene. The dream sequences recreate the Swinging Sixties atmosphere—the Café de Paris, Soho, and the glamorous yet perilous world of Sandie. The contrast between modern London life and retro dreams drives the film’s tension and character growth.

Location

Redruth, Cornwall, London

The story moves from a rural home near Redruth in Cornwall to a bustling London setting. Ellie attends the London College of Fashion and works in a pub, experiencing the urban contrast between quiet countryside life and metropolitan ambition. Key locations include the intimate bedsit, the Café de Paris, and the Soho nightclub circuit that frames the dreams and dangers of the era.

🗺️ Redruth Cornwall 🏙️ London

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:57

Main Characters – Last Night in New York (2022)

Meet the key characters of Last Night in New York (2022), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Ellie Turner

Eloise 'Ellie' Turner is a sweet, naive teenager wrestling with mental health as she leaves rural Cornwall for London. She is drawn to the Swinging Sixties vibe and pursues fashion design with a hopeful, sometimes reckless zeal. Throughout the story, she balances vulnerability with a growing resolve to uncover the truth behind Sandie’s fate.

🎭 Identity 🧠 Mental Health 👗 Fashion

Sandie

Sandie is a confident young woman from the 1960s who aspires to be a singer, guiding Ellie through visions of a glamorous but dangerous double life. Her arc reveals the exploitation faced by performers and the brutal realities behind glamorous reputations. In the twist, Sandie shows resilience and a willingness to fight back against those who would use her.

🎤 Singer 💃 1960s Glam

Ms. Collins

Ms. Collins is the elderly bedsit owner who appears kind but harbors a dark secret. She drugs Ellie, manipulates events from behind a gentle demeanor, and is later revealed to be Sandie in a disguise. Her confrontation with Ellie exposes the lethal consequences of silencing victims.

🪤 Deception 👵 Elderly 🏚️ Mysterious

Jack

Jack is the charming teddy boy manager who fronts Sandie’s world of opportunity but uses women for profit and control. His suave exterior masks coercive behavior and a predatory attitude. His actions set off the chain of events that culminates in Sandie’s perilous confrontation with her exploiters.

💼 Exploitation 🎩 Charisma

Lindsey

Lindsey is an undercover vice officer whose presence hints at potential escape routes for Sandie and others trapped by the system. He operates in the shadows, offering a glimmer of help before tragedy intervenes. His role underscores the precarious fight against predatory networks.

🕵️ Detective 🚓 Police

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:57

Major Themes – Last Night in New York (2022)

Explore the central themes of Last Night in New York (2022), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪞 Identity

Ellie increasingly mirrors Sandie, adopting her hairstyle and fashion as a form of self-discovery. The mirrors and visions blur the line between who Ellie is and who she imagines Sandie to be. The film uses this transformation to explore how identity can be shaped by longing, danger, and external imagery.

🧠 Mental Health

Ellie battles troubled thoughts and haunting apparitions that reflect anxiety, past trauma, and the weight of family history. The narrative frames these experiences as both a mental strain and a portal to understanding her fears. The tension between perception and reality highlights the fragility of sanity under pressure.

👗 Fashion

Fashion serves as Ellie’s aspirational language, guiding her choices and enabling self-expression amidst social pressure. Her designs, inspired by Sandie, culminate in a showcase that marks personal victory. The film links style with empowerment, rebellion, and escape from troubling circumstances.

Last Updated: October 03, 2025 at 19:57

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Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Atmospheric psychological thrillers like Last Night in New York

Stories of fragile minds unraveling in dreamlike, claustrophobic worlds.If you liked the claustrophobic, dreamlike tension of Last Night in New York, explore more movies that feature a descent into psychological turmoil. These films use unsettling atmospheres and complex narratives to explore themes of trauma, obsession, and fractured realities.

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Narrative Summary

The narrative typically follows a vulnerable protagonist uncovering a dark legacy or repressed trauma. The story structure is often non-linear, using visions or flashbacks that challenge the character's—and audience's—grasp on reality, building towards a climactic confrontation with a painful truth.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared focus on intense psychological states, a dark and heavy tone, and an atmospheric, often claustrophobic, visual style. They prioritize mood and internal conflict over straightforward action, creating a deeply unsettling and immersive experience.

Movies with bittersweet endings like Last Night in New York

Achieving a hard-won dream, forever shadowed by the cost of survival.For viewers who appreciated the complex emotional payoff of Last Night in New York, this collection highlights films where characters find a measure of peace or success, but their triumph is indelibly marked by the heavy trauma they endured to get there.

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Narrative Summary

The plot follows a character overcoming immense adversity, often involving exploitation, grief, or a dark personal history. The central conflict is as much internal as external. The ending provides closure and a form of victory, but without erasing the scars of the journey, resulting in a poignant, bittersweet feeling.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their bittersweet emotional conclusion and heavy emotional weight. They balance dark, difficult themes with a thread of hope or achievement, creating a complex and resonant ending that acknowledges pain while celebrating resilience.

Unlock the Full Story of Last Night in New York

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Last Night in New York Summary

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Last Night in New York Summary

Last Night in New York Timeline

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Last Night in New York Timeline

Last Night in New York Spoiler-Free Summary

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Last Night in New York Spoiler-Free Summary

More About Last Night in New York

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