Review: Drugs and double-crossing déjà vu ‘THE LAST DEAL’ slides by with solid performances.

THE LAST DEAL

A blackmarket cannabis dealer gets squeezed out of the business when marijuana becomes legal, and is forced to make one last deal with the people he should trust the least.


A strong fast-paced opening turns into a predictable script of double-crosses and drug debts. The score and transitional fade-outs feel generic and dated. Although, the handheld camerawork is a bright spot. I’ll give the script credit where credit is due, with one surprisingly violent scene halfway through.

An hour in, we briefly meet a round of new characters. One, in particular, provides a cringeworthy moment that is a complete waste of time. On the other hand, actress April Lang provides a tangible grounding for Vince as a character, but the glaring lack of a thick Boston accent matching her son made me roll my eyes. That’s not on Lang. Her performance is the most natural in the film, and I wanted to see her storyline more than anyone. Kenny Johnson also impressed me as Vince’s pilot Carter. That’s another story I’d like to explore.

Sala Baker plays The Boss with badass energy. He steals every second of attention when he appears onscreen. Mister Fitzgerald is Bobby. His confident demeanor makes him likable immediately. More of him everywhere. Anthony Molinari is strong enough as Vince to carry the film. His voiceover work sets a Narcos-level tone at the beginning and end of the film. Unfortunately, the script doesn’t keep up with his potential.


IN THEATERS NATIONWIDE FEB 3

ON DEMAND FEB 7

Directed by Jonathan Salemi, and also starring Anthony Molinari (Tenet), Mister Fitzgerald (“F.B.I.”), Jeffri Lauren (Inside & Out), Mike Ferguson (Ebola Rex), Conner Floyd (“The Young & The Restless”), and Gigi Gustin (The Retaliators), THE LAST DEAL is a Scatena & Rosner Films release.