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IMDbPro

The Last Thing He Wanted

  • 2020
  • R
  • 1h 55m
IMDb RATING
4.4/10
17K
YOUR RATING
Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Rosie Perez, and Anne Hathaway in The Last Thing He Wanted (2020)
A veteran D.C. journalist (Academy Award® winner Anne Hathaway) loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father (Oscar® nominee Willem Dafoe) thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she’s trying to break. Academy Award® nominee Dee Rees directs her adaptation of Joan Didion's namesake novel, co-starring Oscar® winner Ben Affleck.
Play trailer1:50
2 Videos
56 Photos
Conspiracy ThrillerPolitical ThrillerCrimeDramaMysteryThriller

A veteran D.C. journalist loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she's trying to br... Read allA veteran D.C. journalist loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she's trying to break. Adapted from Joan Didion's namesake novel.A veteran D.C. journalist loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she's trying to break. Adapted from Joan Didion's namesake novel.

  • Director
    • Dee Rees
  • Writers
    • Marco Villalobos
    • Dee Rees
    • Joan Didion
  • Stars
    • Anne Hathaway
    • Ben Affleck
    • Rosie Perez
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.4/10
    17K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Dee Rees
    • Writers
      • Marco Villalobos
      • Dee Rees
      • Joan Didion
    • Stars
      • Anne Hathaway
      • Ben Affleck
      • Rosie Perez
    • 453User reviews
    • 55Critic reviews
    • 35Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 1 nomination total

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:50
    Official Trailer
    What Roles Was Ben Affleck Considered For?
    Video 4:10
    What Roles Was Ben Affleck Considered For?
    What Roles Was Ben Affleck Considered For?
    Video 4:10
    What Roles Was Ben Affleck Considered For?

    Photos55

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    + 50
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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Anne Hathaway
    Anne Hathaway
    • Elena McMahon
    Ben Affleck
    Ben Affleck
    • Treat Morrison
    Rosie Perez
    Rosie Perez
    • Alma Guerrero
    Willem Dafoe
    Willem Dafoe
    • Dick McMahon
    Edi Gathegi
    Edi Gathegi
    • Jones
    Mel Rodriguez
    Mel Rodriguez
    • Barry Sedlow
    Onata Aprile
    Onata Aprile
    • Cat McMahon
    Toby Jones
    Toby Jones
    • Paul Schuster
    Carlos Leal
    Carlos Leal
    • Max Epperson aka Bob Weir
    Ben Chase
    Ben Chase
    • Max Berquist
    Julian Gamble
    Julian Gamble
    • Secretary George Shultz
    Robert Sedgwick
    Robert Sedgwick
    • Stuart James
    • (as Rob Sedgwick)
    Bill Kelly
    Bill Kelly
    • General Gus Sharp
    • (as Billy Kelly)
    David Vadim
    David Vadim
    • Buck Pearson
    César Galindez
    • Red Truck Driver
    • (as Cesar Galindez)
    Diomedes Rodriguez
    • Glistening Boy
    Casiano Ancalle
    Casiano Ancalle
    • Elderly Campesino Leader
    • (as Casiano Ancalle Choque)
    Lee Markham
    • Tarmac Secret Service Agent
    • Director
      • Dee Rees
    • Writers
      • Marco Villalobos
      • Dee Rees
      • Joan Didion
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews453

    4.417.2K
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    Featured reviews

    3Top_Dawg_Critic

    Did a 5th grader write this screenpaly??

    Nope, the 5th grader's screenplay would be better!

    "The Last Thing Anyone Wanted" should've been the title of this film. What was seasoned writer and director Dee Rees on when she wrote and directed this, and did no one else proofread this convoluted plot ridden excuse for a screenplay?

    Ugggh, 2 hours of my life I'll never get back! Watch the trailer and you've seen the entire movie - and the trailer makes more sense than the movie if that tells you anything. What a waste of talented actors. A shame this will be a thorn on their resume, I hope they got paid well. NOTHING in this film made any sense. The only thing I got out of this film was to take up smoking; Hathaway was successful in advertising cigarette smoking.

    The only reason I'm not giving this film a 1/10 is +1 for the actors and +1 for the producers not posting fake/paid reviews - yet. Thus it's a 3/10 from me
    3blackgoldmedia

    I couldn't follow the story!

    Im usually not a look at my phone while watching a movie kind of person but from the beginning of there movie I found myself looking at my phone. Buy the time out was over I thought that maybe I missed a few key parts because I had no idea what the movie was all about. Came to see what others thought and I see that I didn't miss anything because others were just as confused as I was. This movie feels like they forgot to shoot some scenes that told more of the story. Maybe there's more answers in the book This was based off of.
    3allyn-robert22

    The cast couldn't carry this mess

    My god was this horrible. The plot never materialized and, while the cast of all stars was great to see, it lack direction. Something I never thought I would see with the talent and director.

    Most movies have some underlying moral or idea that they are trying to get across but even that was missing (which is something I rather like but in this instance I thought that maybe it would be what made the whole thing come together.)

    Bottom line, just don't waste your time. If you do you only have yourself to blame... You've been warned
    4Tweetienator

    ???

    These days I get more and more the impression that the producers don't read scripts anymore - who the hell gave this script a green light? And why!? The story is not very interesting and the execution just adds up to an impression of a redundant and boring movie. Also what's up with those fine actors!? How William Defoe could get involved in this movie!? If he didn't read the script he should fire his agent. Anyway, to be more precise, i renamed the title of the movie to The Last Thing I Wanted, and put it on my personal blacklist that's called "never watch or touch it again". But for certain from a certain perspective it is an achievement to make such a bad movie with that kind of skilled cast... Verdict: one of those fast produced movies that are made these days to fill the airtime of some paychannel. My guess: The Last Thing He Wanted will be faster forgotten than produced.
    Gordon-11

    No idea what it was about

    I just have no idea what the story is about. I don't even understand what the leading characters are doing, or indeed who they really are! The events are confusing, and the characters are poorly developed.

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    Related interests

    Gene Hackman in The Conversation (1974)
    Conspiracy Thriller
    Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in All the President's Men (1976)
    Political Thriller
    James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)
    Crime
    Mahershala Ali and Alex R. Hibbert in Moonlight (2016)
    Drama
    Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway in Chinatown (1974)
    Mystery
    Cho Yeo-jeong in Parasite (2019)
    Thriller

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Ben Affleck replaced Nicolas Cage.
    • Goofs
      In the year 2000, the Republican Party, for reasons still unknown, turned the stars upside down in their logo. The Regan rally showed them in today's stars down depiction.
    • Quotes

      Elena McMahon: In a perfect world we make perfect choices. In the real world we make real choices.

    • Crazy credits
      The teletype tape snippets in the closing credits spell out the person's name.
    • Connections
      Featured in WatchMojo: Top 10 Worst Movies of 2020 (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Escape (I Need a Break)
      Performed by Whodini

      Written by Larry Smith (as Lawrence Smith) and Jalil Hutchins

      Courtesy of Sony Music Entertainment UK Limited

      By arrangement with Sony Music Entertainment

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    FAQ17

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • February 21, 2020 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • official site
      • The Fyzz (United States)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Spanish
      • French
    • Also known as
      • Last Thing He Wanted
    • Filming locations
      • Puerto Rico
    • Production companies
      • Elevated Films (II)
      • Pimienta
      • The Fyzz Facility
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      • 1h 55m(115 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Atmos
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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