The Last Horror Film

Vinny Durand, a New York City taxi driver living with his mother, dreams of directing a film starring Jana Bates. He travels to the Cannes Film Festival with the aim of meeting Jana and pitching his project. This trip marks the first step toward his big break.

Durand is initially unable to meet Jana. He learns that festival agents consider submissions through scripts, which gives him a glimmer of possibility. He remains determined to get Jana’s attention despite the setback.

During a Cannes press conference, Jana receives a chilling note claiming, 'You've made your last horror film. Goodbye.' The message hints at a dangerous network behind the festival's publicity storms. Jana's concern deepens as the mystery surrounding the film world grows.

Jana goes to Bret Bates's hotel room after the note and discovers his decapitated body. When she later returns with the police, the corpse has vanished, leaving investigators puzzled. The disappearance compounds the sense that danger is closer than it seems.

Durand starts following Jana through the festival grounds, secretly filming her as she moves about Cannes. He remains unseen by most, his fixation growing more dangerous with each passing moment. The line between admiration and danger starts to blur.

Marty Bernstein, Jana's agent, and director Stanley Kline, along with his assistant Susan Archer, reveal that they have all received the same ominous notes. The notes connect several people to a shared threat rather than isolated incidents. The mystery starts to feel personal for everyone involved.

Bernstein is lured to a theater screening room and murdered by a cloaked figure on arrival. The killer leaves behind a chilling message, increasing the sense that the festival hides deadly secrets. Jana and others grow increasingly fearful as more victims appear.

Durand visits a nightclub and attacks a stripper, projecting his fantasy of Jana onto the victim in a disturbed moment. The violent outburst demonstrates how his obsession is spilling into real danger. Security struggles to contain the incident.

Durand encounters director Stanley Kline outside and berates him for making 'nasty films.' The clash reveals Durand's volatile temper and his fear of what the film world allows. The scene underscores the threat looming over everyone involved.

The next day, a news broadcast reports that Bret's body has been discovered. Archer asks to leave, but Kline convinces her to stay for the sake of the project. The festival atmosphere remains tense as fear spreads.

That evening, Jana's associates Archer and Kline are murdered by an anonymous assailant who documents the deaths on camera. The killer's method adds a chilling meta-commentary on the industry. Fear tightens its grip on Cannes.

That night, Durand sneaks into Jana's hotel room with a champagne bottle, hoping to charm her into starring in his film. Jana orders him to leave; he breaks the champagne bottle in anger and threatens her with the jagged glass. A bellboy interrupts, and Jana escapes, which the guests interpret as another publicity stunt.

Cunningham drives Jana to a remote château in the French countryside, with Durand in pursuit. Inside the château, Jana's bodyguards shoot to stop him, accidentally killing Jonathan in the process. The remote setting intensifies the danger and isolation.

Cunningham and Jana return to Cannes for the awards ceremony. Durand forces Jana to a castle to film a Dracula scene, but Bret arrives with a pistol, exposing himself as the mastermind. Durand traps Bret with his cape, and Bret is killed by a chainsaw; the true motive behind the scheme is laid bare.

The final image reveals that the entire sequence was a film Vinny shot at the Cannes Film Festival. Back in New York, he screens the finished movie for his mother in a private screening room. The twist reframes the events as a movie about itself, rather than a real-life crime.