The Last Man on Earth (1964)
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The Last Man on Earth Movie Review
The Last Man on Earth is a 1964 post-apocalyptic science fiction film directed by Sidney Salkow and Ubaldo B. Ragona and starring Vincent Price. It’s a solid, but flawed flick.
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“You’re freaks, all of you!
All of you, freaks, mutations!“
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When a disease turns all of humanity into the living dead, the last man on Earth becomes a reluctant vampire hunter. This was the first adaptation of this famous science fiction novel by Richard Matheson. Will Smith’s ‘I Am Legend’ was of the similar quality, but both of these movies could have been much stronger overall.
Where this film succeeds is in the acting department. Many have said that Vincent Price was miscast here, but I disagree with that assessment. He was largely quite competent at depicting this last man on the planet and his many tumultuous emotions throughout the story. This is by far the most serious and complex role that Price got during his career and he delivered his best performance for sure.
The best part of the movie is that first half where we just followed the protagonist through his daily struggle to survive and kill as many vampires as possible. Following him through these exports was quite interesting. Though slowly paced, this was the most serious and believable part of a story that afterward became a bit silly.
Yes, the second half ruined the movie for me. The third act where the police suddenly came in was problematic as the movie abruptly became an action vehicle. It was finely executed, but a more realistic ending would have made for a better viewing experience overall.
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I also did not care for those creatures that are vampires, but are actually zombies. These zombies speak, so they are inherently not scary at all because of that. They were both too slow and too silly to be taken seriously. The female character was fine, but when the protagonist was alone the movie was much more interesting. The cinematography is strong and the score is truly fantastic and eerily evocative of apocalypse and dread, but the movie was otherwise cheap with mediocre directing and far from effective costumes, make-up and production design.
The Last Man on Earth has a terrific score and a strong first half. Vincent Price was here at his best in a surprisingly serious, layered role for him. The movie is overall a solid companion piece to I Am Legend with great dialogue, but the second half is problematic, the creatures were too silly and the action-heavy third act came out of nowhere. It’s a solid, but flawed adaptation.
My Rating – 3.5
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