The Last Thing He Wanted

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The Last Thing He Wanted

2020

1h 55m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

5%

Tomatometer

56 Reviews

14%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

When she helps her father broker an arms deal, a reporter becomes involved in the story she's trying to break.

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Critics Consensus

It'll be the last thing most viewers want, too.

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Roxana Hadadi

Pajiba

Mar 25, 2020

Dee Rees's Joan Didion adaptation The Last Thing He Wanted very nearly works thanks to Anne Hathaway, but the film's narrative shortcomings crater it.

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Karen Han

Polygon

Feb 24, 2020

What's most frustrating about the film's incoherence is that there are still good sequences amid the chaos.

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Stephanie Zacharek

TIME Magazine

Feb 21, 2020

The Last Thing He Wanted seems so taken with its own intricacy that it manages only to trip itself up.

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Max Greene

InSession Film

Aug 1, 2024

D

The Last Thing He Wanted lacks enough substance to become enjoyable. Tensions are never properly set up and characters don't even seem to be living in the world that is created.

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Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

Aug 23, 2022

2/5

It’s built like a thriller and paced liked one too. But it lacks the narrative cohesion needed to bring its many moving parts together. So you’re left with an ambitious movie that looks the part but is maddening in its inability to make sense.

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A.S. Hamrah

The Baffler

Sep 16, 2020

Rees should have pulled the plug on the whole thing...Instead the film drowns on its own.

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom Apr 26, 2026

The Last Thing He Wanted is a frustratingly dull and disjointed thriller that never really finds its footing. What should have been a tense, engaging story instead feels confusing, flat, and strangely lifeless from start to finish. The pacing drags, the plot feels scattered, and it’s hard to stay invested when the film doesn’t do much to build momentum or clarity. Even with a strong cast, the material doesn’t give them much to work with, leaving most scenes feeling underwhelming. Visually and tonally, it aims for a serious, moody style, but it comes across more empty than gripping. It feels like it’s missing the energy or focus needed to make the story land. Overall, it’s a disappointing watch that doesn’t come together in a satisfying way. I’d rate it a -1/10—one of those films that just doesn’t work, even on a basic level.

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R T

@Jonathanbing Apr 17, 2026

Please ignore the ignorant reviews by those who are unfamiliar with Oliver North n his betrayal by Washington.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Nov 6, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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Aniko G

@RT22718613 Mar 21, 2025

It's disgusting that the main character smokes constantly. I don't even understand why. Anne is a good actress, she playes this role perfectly, the cigarette just takes away the value from her perfection and from the film.

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Sally G

@Sallycigim Aug 21, 2023

So bad, it was almost funny. Almost.

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Hector Y

@RT48885457 Jun 15, 2023

Absolutely incoherent plot, leaving the audience grasping to make any sense of what is hapenning onscreen or why it is happening. Simply one of the very worst movies I have watched all year :(

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Dee Rees

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Synopsis

When she helps her father broker an arms deal, a reporter becomes involved in the story she's trying to break.

Director: Dee Rees
Production Co: Elevated Films
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 21, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 21, 2020
Runtime: 1h 55m

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