The Last Supper

The Last Supper

Year: 1995

Runtime: 92 mins

Language: English

Director: Stacy Title

ComedyThrillerCrimeDramaCrude humor and satire

Love, sex, life and death circle a house where every desire is laid bare. A group of idealistic yet frustrated liberals, tired of their impotence, plot to murder right‑wing pundits whose views they despise, revealing how political zeal can blur the line between conviction and murder.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Timeline & Setting – The Last Supper (1995)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Last Supper (1995). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Early 1990s

The events unfold in the early 1990s, a period of polarized political discourse. The characters’ discussions mirror the era's clashes between liberal academia and conservative rhetoric. The presence of a Desert Storm veteran among the guests anchors the story in that timeframe.

Location

Iowa, USA

Set in a house in Iowa, the film follows a tight-knit group of graduate students. The Midwest setting provides a quiet backdrop that contrasts with intense ideological debates inside. The house acts as a crucible where philosophy, politics, and personal tensions escalate into violence.

🏡 Small-town Iowa 🎓 Academic setting 🏠 Shared graduate student house

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:22

Main Characters – The Last Supper (1995)

Meet the key characters of The Last Supper (1995), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Jude (Cameron Diaz)

A psychology student among the five graduate peers whose dinner conversation anchors the liberal voice of the group. She participates in the plan but shows awareness of the moral boundaries later, even warning Norman about the tainted wine. Her empathy contrasts with the escalating brutality around the table.

🎭 Drama 🧠 Psychological 💬 Dialogue-driven

Marc (Jonathan Penner)

An aspiring painter who becomes the first to physically threaten and later fatally stab Zack. He embodies the slippery slope from debate to action, struggling with guilt as the group doubles down on their murderous scheme.

🎨 Artist 🧠 Intense ⚖️ Morally conflicted

Luke (Courtney B. Vance)

A doctoral student in political science who grows increasingly unhinged and embraces the group’s violent logic. He is the driving force behind several decisions and ultimately contributes to setting the moral tone of the dinner.

🎭 Drama 🧠 Intellectual 🗡️ Violence

Pete (Ron Eldard)

A law student from a wealthy family who participates in the murderous dinners and inflicts instability as the plan unfolds. He confronts the consequences of their actions and suffers physical peril during the struggle with Zack.

🎭 Drama 🧠 Intellectual 💪 Physical

Paulie (Annabeth Gish)

A social work student who witnesses the chilling events and later regrets Zack’s death despite his threats. She embodies a humane counterpoint to the group’s escalating violence.

🎭 Drama 🧠 Compassion 💬 Dialogue-driven

Zack (Bill Paxton)

A Desert Storm veteran and truck driver who arrives as the dangerous catalyst—racist, xenophobic, and a Holocaust denier. His volatile presence sparks the conflict that spirals into murder.

🗡️ Violence 🧠 Bigotry 🌟 Extremism

Norman Arbuthnot (Ron Perlman)

A famous conservative pundit who appears to challenge the group's arguments with calm, persuasive rhetoric. He exposes the gap between public bravado and private beliefs, hinting at a potential presidential run.

🎭 Drama 🧠 Charisma 🗨️ Persuasive

Jenny Tyler (Elisabeth Moss)

The missing girl around whom the sheriff’s investigation centers. Her absence is the external impetus for the unfolding drama and the group’s mounting paranoia.

🧭 Mystery 🕵️ Investigation 🚨 Missing Person

Sheriff Alice Stanley (Nora Dunn)

The investigating sheriff who questions the students about Jenny Tyler’s disappearance. Her presence adds tension, and she becomes a target when Luke acts against her.

🕵️ Investigation 🗺️ Mystery 🗡️ Violence

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:22

Major Themes – The Last Supper (1995)

Explore the central themes of The Last Supper (1995), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🧭 Moral Decay

Intellectual certainty is used to justify terrible acts, showing how ideas can erode basic empathy. The dinner conversations progressively strip away moral constraints, turning violence into a rationalized experiment.

🧠 Groupthink

The five students’ camaraderie evolves into a pattern of consent and compliance that enables extreme violence. Rationalizations pile up as dissent is silenced and everyone defers to a shared ideology. The plot exposes how a group can normalize murder through mutual reinforcement.

📚 Ideology vs Humanity

Beliefs are treated as a test of loyalty and intellect rather than a guide to humane action. The characters debate, dehumanize, and instrumentalize others in service of their worldview. The conflict reveals the danger of abstract ideals divorced from compassion.

⚖️ Consequences & Guilt

As the body count rises, guilt and doubt infiltrate the group’s decisions. The tension between justification and remorse becomes palpable, culminating in fractured relationships and a chilling sense of accountability.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 15:22

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The Last Supper Summary

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