The Last Porno Show pushes itself to the limit (and then some) to portray a shocking and unshakable character study of an off-kilter actor who loses himself to method acting.

Wayne (Nathanial Chadwick) inherits his father’s rundown adult movie theatre when his old man passes away.  But as someone who was removed from his Dad’s unconventional supervision at a young age, the sudden acquisition isn’t of interest to Wayne.  In the midst of selling the theatre, Wayne allows his acting classes to run away with his imagination, causing him to react erratically when he tries to apply method acting to engage with his tattered past.

The film is provocative with graphic sex and nudity, which will be the factor that will divide audiences.  Flashbacks of Wayne as a kid (Weston Warkentin) are supposed to be uncomfortable.  These reflections offer an unaltered glimpse into an alarming upbringing, but it might cross a line for certain movie goers.

Looking past the film’s shock value, The Last Porno Show is about the long-term tremors of a destructive ego.  In the case of Wayne, we see how his father’s carelessness and inappropriate behaviour has had an intense impact on his son.  When Wayne secures the lead role in an “art film”, we see how his selfishness is beginning to shape (and break) the spirit of his co-star Ashley (a wonderfully understated performance by Victoria Dunsmore).  Even with Wayne’s acting coach (the brilliantly inspired casting of The Red Maple Leaf’s Frank D’Angelo), we see how the teacher’s intimidating demeanour acts as threatening pressure for his students.

The Last Porno Show has been written and directed by Kire Paputts, who made an impression with his debut feature film The Rainbow Kid.  Paputts builds his movie with his style of vignette-structured interactions, but the format works much better this time around.  Further highlighting the fact that Wayne didn’t just inherit an adult cinema, he inherited the people that come with it.

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The Last Porno Show screens at TIFF on: 

Tuesday, September 10 at 3:30 p.m. @ Scotiabank Theatre (Press & Industry)
Tuesday, September 10 at 9:00 p.m. @ Scotiabank Theatre
Thursday, September 12 at 11:45 a.m. @ Scotiabank Theatre (Press & Industry)
Thursday, September 12 at 9:00 p.m. @ Jackman Hall (AGO)
Friday, September 13 at 3:30 p.m. @ Scotiabank Theatre

Rating: 18A
Language: English
Runtime: 90 minutes

For more information on the festival, visit the official TIFF webpage here.

Buy tickets here.

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