The Last Stop in Yuma County- Fantastic Fest 2023
September 23rd, 2023
MOVIE: THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY
STARRING: JIM CUMMINGS, JOCELIN DONAHUE, RICHARD BRAKE, NICHOLAS LOGAN, MICHAEL ABBOTT JR., BARBARA CRAMPTON
DIRECTED BY: FRANCIS GALLUPPI
AMovieGuy.com’s RATING: 4 STARS (Out of 4)
Sometimes all you need is to put a collection of characters in a room and see how things unfold. That seems to be the concept from director Francis Galluppi, whose new film The Last Stop in Yuma County, is undoubtedly one of the coolest movies of 2023. It involves a gas station that’s connected to a motel and connected to a diner. A traveling knife salesman (played wonderfully by Jim Cummings) needs to stop for gas. The problem is that the pumps are all dry, but the morning truck should arrive any minute now… Soon more people need gas. New characters stop at the diner. When a pair of bank robbers happen to walk in, things get dicey, and the pressure starts to build. The Last Stop in Yuma County starts at a simmer, bubbling, and brewing, and eventually exploding into one of the most thrilling movies of 2023.
It’s easy to compare Galluppi’s style to the Coen Brothers, which is not a bad pair of filmmakers to copy, but Galluppi has put together his own kind of potboiler. The knife salesman (Cummings) arrives in his green Pinto, asks for gas, and then heads into the diner. The only other person inside is Charlotte (Jocelin Donahue) the waitress, who was dropped off by her husband, the sheriff in town Charlie (Michael Abbott Jr.). The next customers to arrive happen to be Beau (Richard Brake) and Travis (Nicholas Logan), two bank robbers we hear about on the radio. When they realize their identity is known, Beau makes it uncomfortable, threatening everyone, and if anyone says a thing, there will be bullets flying.
Now an uncomfortable energy fills the room. The only phone line was cut. Nothing to do but act natural as more guests enter. But Gallupe isn’t going to leave it at a few patrons. We meet Robert and Earline from Waco (played by Coen Brothers regulars Gene Jones and Robin Bartlett). Then Charlie’s police partner Miles (Ryan Masson) stops in for coffee. Bickering lovers Sybil (Sierra McCormick) and Gavin (Connor Paolo). Charlotte’s friend Pete (Jon Proudstar) has biscuits and gravy at the counter. Each person who enters the diner creates a new wrinkle, some might have guns, and some might have something else. The tension is powerful and it’s not just the Texas heat making us sweat.
The premise may seem too simple to praise, but unlike say Ben Wheatly’s Free Fire, this is the entire package of style and storytelling. From the cast, the direction, and the cinematography alone, Galluppi has the narrative mapped out. Galluppi also wrote the screenplay, having a great sense of character creation, with just a simple detail such as knitting a sweater or wearing a cowboy hat. And when the pot finally boils over, that is when the story kicks into another gear, because each character will show their true colors, and greed often wins.
There’s not much else to say about the plot because you want to watch everything unravel. That’s the beauty here. The Last Stop in Yuma County is tightly wound, filled with original characters, and nails the ending. It’s reminiscent of films such as Blood Simple, No Country for Old Men, and recently Bad Times at the El Royale. Director Francis Galluppi has put together one of the coolest movies of the year. A modern western, mixed with a heist, and easily one of my favorite movies of 2023.
THE LAST STOP IN YUMA COUNTY IS PREMIERING AT FANTASTIC FEST ON SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 23rd, 2023.
4 STARS
Written by: Leo Brady
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