by Anthony O'Connor
Worth: Discs: 4, The Film: 4/5, The Extras: 4/5, Overall: 8/10
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Linda Fiorentino, Peter Berg, J. T. Walsh, Bill Nunn, Bill Pullman, Dean Norris, Herb Mitchell
Intro:
… this is the best way to watch Linda Fiorentino at her darkest, sexiest and femme fatale best.
The Film:
There was a period during the late ‘80s-90s when director John Dahl was on an exceptional winning streak and looked set to become the next big A-list director. Starting with 1989’s Kill Me Again, Dahl established his neo-noir credentials and became a director to watch. However, it was 1993’s Red Rock West, a smart thriller starring a vaguely sane acting Nicolas Cage that really set tongues wagging. His next eagerly awaited film was The Last Seduction, which gave Linda Fiorentino the star turn that she so richly deserved. Unfortunately, this was followed in 1996 by Unforgettable, when Dahl made the regrettable decision to change genre, and delivered a sci-fi virtual reality thriller that thrilled few and bombed hard at the box office. His next, Rounders in 1998, was also a weak performer at the box office, although it has gone on to be one of the most popular poker films of all time and is worth watching for John Malkovich’s accent alone (that thing probably needed its own trailer).
After that, Dahl did a few other flicks, the most notable of which was probably 2001’s Joy Ride, but pivoted mainly to television where he continues to work reliably today. Still, it’s a pity that he never quite got his big break because his early stuff, particularly Red Rock West and The Last Seduction, really shines. So, let’s talk about the latter, now available in a classy dame of a boxset from Imprint.
The Last Seduction is the story of Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino), a restless telemarketing manager who has convinced her debt-ridden physician husband Clay (Bill Pullman) to sell pharmaceutical grade cocaine to some gang bangers. Clay completes the transaction and walks away with a big pile of dosh, but when he arrives home, he makes the mistake of slapping Bridget and she’s not having it. Bridget flogs the cash and scarpers while Clay showers, successfully escaping to Beston, a small town in Buffalo. There, she starts rooting local hung hottie Mike (Peter Berg) and begins to formulate a plan to separate from Clay and walk away with all that filthy lucre.
At its core, The Last Seduction is a contemporary take on the noir genre. Had this been released in the 1940s, it would be all hot detectives and icy cool dames set on a course for destruction. But because it’s set in the 1990s, it’s small towns, strip malls, trashy bars and occasional glimpses of grimy New York City. It’s an interesting milieu to set your crime yarn and it really works, due in no small part to the terrific lead performances. Peter Berg is great as the ambitious but naive Mike and Bill Pullman is terrifically slimy as the devious Clay. However, the film indisputably belongs to Fiorentino who exudes potent sex appeal and an almost reptilian malice, as she crosses boundaries time and time again. She is an absolutely irredeemable femme fatale, selfish and sociopathic, and watching her work is both thrilling and appalling.
The Last Seduction looks terrific all these years later, credit to Dahl’s deft hand, and is available in Theatrical Cut, Extended Version and the Noir Version – in gorgeous black and white, no less – for those who prefer their noir in more traditional shades.
It remains a potent film about a deeply evil person who gives no reason for her heinous acts and asks for no redemption either. Fascinating, textured, oddly funny at times and utterly compelling.
The Extras:
A very solid sack of stolen extras here. There are audio commentaries from director John Dahl on all versions of the film. You’ve got The Demolished Man: a 2025 interview with Peter Berg, The Good Doctor: a 2025 interview with Bill Pullman, Seductive Rhythms: a 2025 interview with editor Eric L. Beason and Hard Light and Soft Shadows: a 2025 interview with cinematographer Jeffrey Jur.
There’s The Art of Seduction: a pretty solid making of featurette and deleted scenes and an alternate ending, both with optional audio commentary.
Best in show goes to Small Town Noir: a 2025 interview with John Dahl, where the bloke talks us through the process of how the film got made and the reasons for his choices, thematic and stylistic. Dahl comes off as erudite, humble and a bit of a gent, honestly.
(It’s a bit of a pity that Linda Fiorentino herself doesn’t pop in for a chat, but the fact that a 2009 scandal that involved her FBI agent boyfriend allegedly illegally accessing confidential files for her (which sounds like the premise for a great sequel!) has perhaps got her very much avoiding discussion of the similarly themed The Last Seduction.)
The whole collection comes in a very flash-looking hardbox with a slick hardback booklet for your pre or post viewing perusal.
The Verdict:
The Last Seduction is a ‘90s neo-noir gem from a director who deserves far more attention than he gets. Presented here in a very handsome (albeit exxy) collection, with theatrical, extended and noir versions, this is the best way to watch Linda Fiorentino at her darkest, sexiest and femme fatale best.
You’re probably better off avoiding ladies like this in real life, mind you. Some things work better in the movies.
