The opening moments of The Last Anniversary immediately hook you with a simple but effective premise. We’re immediately made aware this is “the last day on Earth.” It’s an intriguing setup that raises immediate questions: Why is the world ending? Why are these former friends reuniting at an abandoned hotel? And why do some of them feel compelled to leave their own families behind to attend a tenth wedding anniversary?
At first, the mystery works.
As the reunion unfolds, another mystery begins to emerge involving a member of the original wedding party who disappeared during the celebration ten years earlier. The film slowly peels back layers of old friendships, buried resentment, addiction, betrayal, and long-held secrets while supernatural elements begin creeping into the edges of the story.
The Last Anniversary tells a lot of story through its dialogue. Unfortunately, it spends a little too much time talking instead of letting its ideas breathe.
Many scenes feel overloaded with dialogue, and some of it feels strangely artificial. Conversations often sound like characters delivering speeches rather than speaking naturally to one another, making it difficult to become emotionally invested. The film frequently stalls its own momentum with extended exchanges that could have been dramatically shortened without losing anything important. Perhaps a stronger script edit could have made a tremendous difference here.
The performances are a bit uneven. Several cast members struggle with delivering compelling dialogue, though two standouts help elevate the material whenever they’re on screen…
Gail and Devon (AKA the recovering addict and the famous musician) played by Manon Ens-Lapointe and Honor Spencer respectively, share the film’s strongest chemistry. Their performances provide some much-needed authenticity whenever they’re paired together. Their interactions feel noticeably more believable and keep you locked in.
Warning: Viewers should be aware that the film contains scenes involving sexual assault, making it one that deserves a content warning before going in.
Despite its flaws, The Last Anniversary isn’t without rewards. There are several genuinely satisfying revenge sequences throughout the second half that offer welcome catharsis as some of the film’s least likable characters finally face the consequences of their actions.
And then there’s the ending.
After a slow, dialogue-heavy journey, the finale delivers a payoff that is genuinely satisfying. It’s the kind of ending that almost makes you forget how much work it took to get there. Almost.
Listen…I didn’t hate The Last Anniversary. There’s a solid mystery at its core, a few memorable performances, and several moments that remind you there was a stronger movie hiding inside this script. Had the filmmakers trusted visual storytelling more than lengthy conversations—and leaned harder into the suspense and interpersonal tension—the final product could have been something more special.
It’s a film with flashes of promise that ultimately gets a bit buried beneath its words.
