movie review the last song

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The last song, common sense media reviewers.

Sweet Miley Cyrus drama depicts first love, family troubles.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Love transforms even the most hardened souls, thou

While initially not a great role model, Ronnie ult

A boy takes a crowbar and tries to hit another wit

More talk than action. One character discusses ano

Some uses of "bitch," but much of the dialogue is

Some signage for Mobil gas stations, restaurants.

No drug use, though one scene shows teenagers drin

Parents need to know that this sweet-but-sad and fairly predictable coming-of-age story will likely appeal to hordes of Miley Cyrus' young fans, but it's best for older tweens and teens thanks to the heavy topics of divorce, abusive relationships, and death. The romance (including some passionate kissing) will send…

Positive Messages

Love transforms even the most hardened souls, though it’s not always enough to sustain marriages. But forgiveness helps bridge the gap. Also: Happy families might only appear that way, so it’s best not to judge from appearances. And music can bring you joy.

Positive Role Models

While initially not a great role model, Ronnie ultimately comes around. When she arrives in town she’s been arrested for shoplifting and though she’s been accepted at a prestigious music conservatory, she plans on not going. She’s also disrespectful of her parents, especially her father. However, she’s the one who changes the most in the movie, softening and finding the will to forgive. Other characters include a young girl who appears willing to stay in a relationship that clearly devalues her; her boyfriend who manhandles her; and two young men who’ve helped destroy a neighbor’s reputation. All but one learn their lesson in the end.

Violence & Scariness

A boy takes a crowbar and tries to hit another with it during a fight. He also menaces his girlfriend and manhandles her. A local is suspected of arson.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

More talk than action. One character discusses another’s conquests. Some passionate kissing, and a guy makes a pass at another even though he has a girlfriend.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Some uses of "bitch," but much of the dialogue is only slightly salty: "pissed," "brat," "suck." Also, a couple uses of "God" as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

No drug use, though one scene shows teenagers drinking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this sweet-but-sad and fairly predictable coming-of-age story will likely appeal to hordes of Miley Cyrus ' young fans, but it's best for older tweens and teens thanks to the heavy topics of divorce, abusive relationships, and death. The romance (including some passionate kissing) will send fans' hearts a-flutter, and a tear-jerking storyline will leave them surprisingly moved. There's little swearing ("bitch") and some sexual banter, but most everything's pretty clean-cut. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (31)
• Kids say (104)

Based on 31 parent reviews

Sad but good

What's the story.

Sent along with her younger brother to spend the summer on Tybee Island with their father ( Greg Kinnear ), Ronnie ( Miley Cyrus ) resists enjoying their time together. She's been estranged from him since he divorced their mother ( Kelly Preston ), and refuses to forgive him for what she feels is abandonment. Post-high-school-graduation, life in general feels tenuous to Ronnie. She's been accepted to Juilliard, the prestigious music conservatory, but she's determined not to go, despite having been a musical prodigy. Her father was her teacher, and she can't bear to sit at the piano again since it reminds Ronnie of him. But an unexpected romance with a popular local boy, Will ( Liam Hemsworth ), softens Ronnie's heart, and paves the way for a reconciliation with her father. Sadly, it may prove too short.

Is It Any Good?

Miley Cyrus won't be winning any acting awards anytime soon. Her delivery is rat-a-tat, and she operates in two modes -- pouting and not. But despite rote dialogue and plot swerves one could spot a mile away, Cyrus manages to seem authentic, especially in scenes with Kinnear and Hemsworth, with whom she shares incredible chemistry.

It's their chemistry that rescues THE LAST SONG from disaster, actually -- Hemsworth has great charisma and good instincts -- and the gorgeously photographed locale helps too. Nicholas Sparks, of The Notebook fame, who wrote the screenplay, clearly knows how to eke out the tears from romance. (Cyrus' tween fan base will swoon.) But the movie aspires to be too many things -- an inspirational movie, a dark family drama, a study of class conflict -- that it isn't great at any of them. Plus, for a film starring beloved pop star Cyrus, with the word "song" in its title, and celebrating the joy of music, it has too-few moments of Ronnie and her father together at the piano. And that's a pity.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Ronnie's reaction to her parents' divorce. Why does she hate her father so much? Why is she unable to forgive him? Is her reaction typical and/or understandable? Does her experience remind you of your experiences or your friends' experiences?

Tweens and teens: Do you see Miley Cyrus as a role model ? Why or why not? Do you think celebrities make good role models? Do you have any real-life role models -- like family members, friends, or teachers? Do you real-life role models have more or less influence over your thoughts and decisions compared to celebs?

Is the film's depiction of first (true) love realistic? How does it change Ronnie?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 31, 2010
• On DVD or streaming : August 16, 2010
• Cast : Greg Kinnear , Liam Hemsworth , Miley Cyrus
• Director : Julie Anne Robinson
• Inclusion Information : Female directors, Female actors, Pansexual actors
• Studio : Offspring Entertainment
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Music and Sing-Along
• Run time : 107 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG
• MPAA explanation : thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language
• Last updated : January 27, 2024

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Movie Review: ‘The Last Song’

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There aren’t a lot of surprises in store when a film is struck from Nicholas Sparks and is called “The Last Song.” There will be young love in the picturesque South, there will be a battery of contrivances keeping those crazy kids apart, and there will be tragedy and much rending of hair.

“Last Song” is one of those maudlin romantic melodramas you just can’t warn folks off. They’re going to see it, though they know the story before they get in the car. Sullen, half-heartedly goth teen Ronnie (Miley Cyrus sans “Hannah Montana” trappings) is dropped off with energetic kid brother Jonah (Bobby Coleman) for a coastal summer with estranged musician dad Steve (Greg Kinnear). Piano prodigy Ronnie has quit playing out of spite; Dad patiently bears her teen angst. Despite -- because of? -- her sulking, Ronnie catches the eye of dreamy local stud Will (Liam Hemsworth), whose shirtlessness is explored in depth. Spoiler alert: Will’s terrible secret is that he’s perfect.

There are bells and whistles -- swimming in aquarium tanks, which is an awesome first-date trick if you can get away with it again and again; the usual wan rivalries; an unconvincing threat from a minor character -- but the two strands that matter are whether Ronnie will forgive her father and reconnect before the coda, and whether she will forgive Will for whatever wrong grace note he’s hit that’s so awful she would turn a deaf ear to him.

But this is what it’s come to with modern romance. It’s just too easy to communicate these days when it’s important. So the crafters of heavy-handed fluff must rely on audiences’ goodwill to accept that characters who were willing to go to “Say Anything” lengths for someone just a scene ago, suddenly can’t find a name in their contact lists. In “Dear John,” Sparks resorted to Sept. 11 and autism as plot points. Here, the scale is smaller but the theatrics are equivalent. Even more than in most specimens of the genre, the characters are die-cast figures whose positions on the board we’re not to question, though little justification for their moves together or apart is forthcoming. The acting is similarly an unconnected series of camera-ready smiles and poses. Only Kinnear survives the attrition, sort of.

Giving serious consideration to a widget such as “Last Song” is like dancing about architecture. Those hungry for this kind of calculated, faux-emotional escapism can order the usual from this familiar menu, and really, what’s wrong with that? There was audible sobbing in the screening this reviewer attended, so somebody cares. But for those wondering if the continuing popularity of such exercises might make this one worth the ticket price, the same effect might be achieved by writing names and obstacles (make some tragic) on index cards and tossing them in the air.

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• DVD & Streaming

The Last Song

• Drama , Romance

Content Caution

In Theaters

• March 31, 2010
• Miley Cyrus as Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller; Greg Kinnear as Steve Miller; Liam Hemsworth as Will Blakelee; Kelly Preston as Kim Miller; Bobby Coleman as Jonah Miller; Carly Chaikin as Blaze; Nick Lashaway as Marcus

Home Release Date

• August 17, 2010
• Julie Anne Robinson

Distributor

• Touchstone Pictures

Movie Review

There’s no such thing as a good divorce.

That’s a reality Ronnie Miller knows all too well. In the wake of her parents’ devastating split, the 18-year-old piano prodigy stands on the knife edge of decision. Will she allow bitterness to consume her? Or will she learn to forgive and embrace the fact that even if life isn’t always perfect, it’s still worth living with an open heart?

As The Last Song opens, bitterness is winning that tug-of-war. Ronnie’s folks have decided that she and her little brother, Jonah, should spend the summer with their father. And it’s a long way from New York City to the beachfront Georgia resort town where her father, Steve, resides. That distance, however, is nothing compared to the gaping chasm between Ronnie and her dad, whom she blames for … everything.

Upon arrival, Ronnie barely breathes a word to her father before slouching off to the beach, looking like a sullen thrift-store castaway in Doc Martens. It takes her all of five minutes to find someone a few miles further down the same troubled road, a streetwise, street- hardened young woman named Blaze. Blaze summarizes her life story in two words: “Families suck.” Ronnie agrees.

Fast-forward five more minutes, however, and an errant volleyball punctures Ronnie’s brooding narcissism. Or, I should say, the shirtless hunk going after the ball, Will Blakelee, accomplishes that task.

Ronnie’s annoyed. Will’s intrigued. And a few more serendipitous encounters seal the deal … for Will anyway. But he’ll need all of his resources (read: piercing gazes, six-pack abs, a kind heart and a high tolerance for pouting) in order to scale the walls around Ronnie’s heart.

As he focuses on that task, Ronnie discovers that maybe life isn’t so bad after all … and that maybe her dad isn’t the soulless home wrecker she’s made him out to be.

Positive Elements

This story turns on a romance. But The Last Song is as much about family and forgiveness as it is teen twitterpation. It illustrates how divorce wreaks havoc on the children affected by it. After Ronnie skulks down to the beach, Steve’s ex-wife tries to help him see how wounded Ronnie is. “We hurt them, Steve,” Kim says. Though he’s mildly dismissive (“Things happen. Nobody’s perfect”), Ronnie’s father is immensely interested in reconnecting with his daughter. He’s patient when she’s moody, and he tries to serve her in practical ways.

As love blossoms between Will and Ronnie, she needs a confidant … and Dad’s the only person around. Gradually, Ronnie shares her heart not only with Will, but with her father. That in turn opens the door for conversations about the fact that life doesn’t always go as planned and the need for forgiveness when others make mistakes.

In one such conversation, Ronnie has been falsely accused of shoplifting, something she was accused of doing in New York as well. Dad is initially skeptical of her assertion that she’s innocent. But Ronnie confesses, “I did it in New York. I stole something. I didn’t need you to tell me it’s wrong. I know that. But I didn’t do it here.” Dad’s willingness to believe her helps bridge their trust gap.

Another significant part of the storyline revolves around Dad’s desire to see Ronnie playing piano again, a talent she’s shelved since her parents’ divorce. As the film unfolds, we learn that he taught her to play. And so Ronnie’s willingness to tickle the ivories again becomes a metaphor for their renewed relationship.

Tests of trust pop up in Ronnie’s romance with Will as well. At one point, Ronnie is led to believe that Will’s intentions aren’t so noble. “I don’t want to be the next girl in your parade of girls,” she tells him, before he talks her down from that ledge. A significant breach of trust (that involves Will hiding some important information) also results in Ronnie distancing herself from him as she sorts through what to do with his deception. He’s deeply sorry for what’s happened and Ronnie eventually finds it in her to forgive him.

Elsewhere, Dad spends a lot of time with Jonah as they work on repairing a stained-glass window from a church that’s burned down. Ronnie gives Blaze some money after her boyfriend kicks her out of their house. Jonah then gives Ronnie money he’s saved so that she can buy a dress to attend a wedding. Ronnie, Jonah and Will work to protect a nest of sea turtle eggs. And Will tries to encourage a friend to take responsibility for accidentally starting the church fire—an incident for which Steve has been unfairly blamed.

[ Spoiler Warning ] Eventually we learn that Ronnie’s father is dying of cancer, a fact that he hides from her and Jonah until he collapses halfway through the summer. Whether that fact should have been concealed is open to debate (and Ronnie certainly doesn’t think he should have hidden it). But Steve’s motive was a noble one: to spend his last summer with his children without his terminal illness being the focal point of their time together. In the end, Ronnie cares for her father through his final days and offers a poignant tribute at his funeral.

Spiritual Elements

The stained-glass window that Dad and Jonah are working on pictures angels. The window is eventually installed in the church. A couple conversations in the church reflect Dad’s generic belief in life after death.

Sexual Content

Once the flames of romance between Ronnie and Will begin to flare, there’s kissing. And more kissing. Seven or eight lip-lock sessions in total, several of which are passionate and drawn out. But when Ronnie and Will spend a night on the beach in lawn chairs guarding turtle eggs, Dad draws a line in the sand in between them. Will replies, “Yes sir, I understand, sir.”

Blaze and Marcus make out on the beach. While there’s no explicit groping, they’re still using their hands a fair amount. And we know that they’re living together. Marcus touches Ronnie’s arm while Blaze is elsewhere, then tries to pull her to himself. Ronnie responds, “Don’t ever touch me again.”

Two beach volleyball games involve shirtless guys. Will’s shirt comes off in a couple other scenes as well. As for Ronnie, swimming and beach scenes show her bare midriff and cleavage (though she generally wears a T-shirt over her swimming suit). A flirtatious mud fight between Ronnie and Will ends with the pair using a garden hose to clean each other up. Will’s again seen sans shirt, and Ronnie’s bra is visible beneath her wet shirt. Indeed, Ronnie has a penchant for bra-revealing outfits. And she stuffs a bit of padding down the front of a dress that she tries on. Other girls in bikinis are seen on the beach.

Jonah says that Ronnie has PMS, which he thinks stands for “p‑‑‑ed at men syndrome.”

Violent Content

A melee involves Will defending both Ronnie and Blaze from Marcus. Marcus comes at Will with a crowbar, but Will gets the best of him in the intense scuffle that follows, landing four or five savage punches.

We see an unconscious man being pulled out of a burning building by firemen.

Crude or Profane Language

God’s name is taken in vain a handful of times. Vulgarities include one or two uses each of “b‑‑ch,” “d‑‑n,” “h‑‑” and “p‑‑‑ed.”

Drug and Alcohol Content

At a beach party, Blaze and Marcus have been drinking. (She’s tipsy and her speech is slurred.) When she grabs another beer from a cooler and asks if Ronnie wants one, Ronnie replies that she doesn’t drink. Blaze questions her on this conviction, and Ronnie says even more bluntly, “I just don’t drink.”

Later, Marcus pesters Blaze for money she owes him; Blaze has bags under her eyes and seems strung out, and it’s not a stretch to conclude that she and Marcus could be doing drugs and that she owes him money for that habit.

Will mentions friends getting drunk at a party. Adults drink champagne at a wedding.

Millions of young fans know her best as the Disney sensation Hannah Montana. But like all teen sensations before her, Miley Cyrus is growing up (whether she or her fans want this to happen or not). And like many of those who’ve gone before her, Miley’s trying to figure out how best to accomplish that task in the public eye.

The journey hasn’t been without controversy, be it questionable photos in Vanity Fair or her eyebrow-raising pole-dancing performance at the 2009 Teen Choice Awards. Miley’s still talking about her relationship with Jesus and says that she understands her influence, but she’s also made some choices that have undermined her role-model status.

All of which leads to this question: What kinds of roles will Miley take when she steps out of Hannah’s teenage shoes and into those of a young woman?

The Last Song forms the first part of the answer. And it is, on balance, positive, perhaps in part because of the influence of the film’s screenwriter, Nicholas Sparks.

Sparks, you may remember, is the storyteller behind the hit novels (and subsequent film adaptations) The Notebook , Message in a Bottle ,  Dear John and A Walk to Remember . Plugged In recently talked with Sparks about how that last movie in particular served as a template of sorts for this one.

“[Miley] had a two-movie deal with Disney, [and] the first one was going to be the Hannah Montana movie,” Sparks said. “But then when they were talking to her, she said she’d really love to do something like A Walk to Remember . The next thing you know, Disney’s talking to the director of A Walk to Remember, and they call me and ask if I have anything. And I say, ‘No, not really.’ But I was thinking about doing a story anyway about a teenage girl. So I talked a little bit to Miley about the things she wanted and didn’t want. … From there I just sat down and tried to come up with the most interesting story I could.”

The resulting tale deals honestly with themes of love and loss. It underscores the damaging cost of divorce as well as the healing power of a patient, present father. Ronnie Miller’s refusal to drink and her determination not to repeat poor choices are also admirable. And when Ronnie and Will choose to “do the right thing,” as Sparks says, “you’re left with a real strong sense of hopefulness.” 

Hannah Montana fans may be a bit surprised by how much their heroine smooches her “prince” in this film. And a handful of mild profanities aren’t something you’re likely to hear on her Disney sitcom either. In that sense, The Last Song isn’t without some issues that parents will have to decide if their kids are ready to navigate.

Still, by today’s increasingly racy standards—even in teen fare—Miley’s first step into the post- Hannah movie world isn’t likely to stir things up too much. Instead, she’s made a strong contribution to a movie that embodies the value of family and forgiveness—important lessons no matter how old you are.

A postscript: In his interview with us, Sparks also talked about how his Catholic faith influences his approach to storytelling. And in the case of The Last Song , there’s more spiritual material in the novel than we see in the film. On that subject, Sparks said, “I’m comfortable writing about faith or having characters with faith. In the novel, Steve’s journey is not only to reconnect with his children, but to literally experience the presence of God. That’s what his journey is all about.”

Read ” Nicholas Sparks’ Stories, Songs and Salvation ,” our interview with The Last Song’ s screenwriter.

Adam R. Holz

After serving as an associate editor at NavPress’ Discipleship Journal and consulting editor for Current Thoughts and Trends, Adam now oversees the editing and publishing of Plugged In’s reviews as the site’s director. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children. In their free time, the Holzes enjoy playing games, a variety of musical instruments, swimming and … watching movies.

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The last song — film review.

"The Last Song's" main purpose is to showcase one of Disney's brightest young stars, Miley Cyrus, and to move her beyond Hannah Montana and concert movies into an older, dramatic role.

By Kirk Honeycutt , The Associated Press October 14, 2010 9:10pm

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Although “The Last Song” is a film Disney Studios certainly hopes every man, woman and child in America goes to see, it’s main purpose is to showcase one of the studio’s brightest young stars, Miley Cyrus, and to move her beyond Hannah Montana and concert movies into an older, dramatic role.

So the tailor-made movie runs the 17-year-old through a gamut of emotions from anger and love to sorrow and joy. She romps on a beach, has a mud fight, saves baby sea turtles, smooches with a guy and models any number of gowns, even adjusting her breasts in one outfit to emphasize how grown-up she has become.

The movie so deftly mixes sentimentality, romance and bathos in just the right measures that her fans and maybe new ones will enjoy the new Miley. So she might have a hit dramatic movie to add to her smash Disney Channel series and multiplatinum albums.

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If publicity notes are to be believed, best-selling author Nicholas Sparks even wrote his novel and screenplay with Cyrus in mind. What more can a girl ask for?

Overseeing the production is first-time feature director Julie Anne Robinson, who has worked in British and American television. She can’t do much about the contrivances in the script Sparks wrote with an old friend, Jeff Van Wie. But she gives Cyrus room to display a winning personality and charm.

Sparks’ shameless formula is to introduce illness, death or social differences to punch emotional buttons and jerk tears. This is a writer who never trusts his characters to move you without these artificial stimulants — witness such books-to-movies as “Message in a Bottle,” “A Walk to Remember,” “The Notebook” and only last month “Dear John.”

Cyrus’ Ronnie Miller is a teen from a broken home who has internalized her bitterness over her parents’ divorce and closed off her emotions. Most of her blame, however, is reserved for her father, Steve (Greg Kinnear). Now she and her kid brother (Bobby Coleman) must spend a summer at his Georgia beachfront house, so she’s not happy.

She pouts and ignores Dad for awhile, but a romance with a beach hunk named Will (Liam Hemsworth, nicely hiding his Australian accent) pulls her out of her funk; she even settles down for a heart-to-heart with Dad.

So where’s the story going to go if all conflicts and issues are resolved before the midpoint? Ah, that’s where Sparks’ special formula comes in.

First, Will tells Ronnie about the death of his brother the previous year that shattered his family despite their unimaginable wealth. Then someone — no spoilers here — gets sick.

Disney has gone all out to bring its star into her comfort zone. The studio surrounds Cyrus with seasoned pros in Kinnear and Kelly Preston (as her mom), gives her a handsome, almost-too-nice leading man, brings her real mother aboard as executive producer and fills the soundtrack with songs by popular artists, including two songs performed by Cyrus.

The script makes her a gifted pianist, so she doesn’t lose that music connection even if she only sings on camera for a few moments. And a message about music and familial love bringing joy to one’s life strays not one bit off the Disney reservation. Nor does the hokey story and chaste romance. So mission accomplished.

Opens: Wednesday, March 31 (Disney)

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The Last Song Reviews

Might provoke the urgent need for three handkerchiefs or half a box of Kleenex. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Aug 4, 2022

Miley Cyrus moves into a "dramatic" role - but acts like she's been created using CGI.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | May 19, 2021

Saved from failure largely through the efforts of Kinnear.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.0/4.0 | Sep 13, 2020

A story of life, death, transition, growth and above all, love of family, it is impossible not to be swept into the emotion and heart of The Last Song.

Full Review | Nov 15, 2019

It has too many verses and dramatic flourishes, including more than a few eye-rolling embellishments, but The Last Song hits enough right notes to induce laughter, tears and fond feelings toward families and first loves.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Aug 13, 2018

Two pretty teenagers, trying to out-Christ each other.

Full Review | Nov 6, 2014

A predictable but sweet old-fashioned teen romance.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.0/5 | Dec 25, 2012

Cyrus and Hemsworth... represent some kind of theoretical low for how terrible two romantic leads can be, together and separately.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/10 | Apr 21, 2012

Full Review | Original Score: C | Feb 18, 2012

It's an entire season's worth of a teen soap opera crammed into a feature film.

Full Review | Feb 10, 2012

Here's the revelation: Miley Cyrus is a really interesting movie star in the making, with an intriguing echo-of-foghorn speaking voice, and a scuffed-up tomboyish physicality (in the Kristen Stewart mode) that sets her apart from daintier girls.

Full Review | Original Score: B | Sep 7, 2011

The latest in a growing number of weepy films based on Nicholas Sparks novels that don't come anywhere close to The Notebook.

Full Review | Aug 31, 2011

This film is kind of a brilliant move on the part of the Cyrus Corporation.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Apr 4, 2011

How do I find thee ridiculous, The Last Song? Let me count the ways...[Blu-ray]

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Aug 16, 2010

As a vehicle to extend the Miley Cyrus $$$billion$$$ dollar phenomenon of pre-teen fandom into a young adult starlet of seventeen, no production value was denied. But it ain't this year's discovery!

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 5, 2010

A melodrama that's aimed at teen girls, but the cinematography and performances make it palatable for others as well--if you don't mind someone toying with your emotions.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Aug 4, 2010

full review at Movies for the Masses

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jul 29, 2010

This is piano-key-tinkling melodrama that pulls out just about every cliché in the book.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Jul 4, 2010

An obvious bid for the teen queen to extend beyond her comfort zone only to then clearly show her limits and need for further development.

Full Review | Original Score: 0/4 | May 16, 2010

As Nicholas Sparks adaptations go, this one's both endearingly join-the-dots and surprisingly un-crass.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | May 6, 2010

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The Last Song

M iley "Hannah Montana" Cyrus, that egregious tween poppet, is emerging from the chrysalis of Disney Channel childhood as a shiny young-adult butterfly in the music'n'movie world. And when you look at her face, with its chillingly perky ambition, and its lips, cheeks and forehead inflated taut, like the separate sections of a lilo, you will hear in your head the awestruck words of Ian Holm's severed head in Ridley Scott's Alien: "You still don't understand what you're dealing with, do you? Perfect organism …! Its structural perfection is matched only by its hostility …! I admire its purity!"

Students of Miley's Hannah Montana period, in which she co-starred alongside real-life father Billy Ray Cyrus as a secret pop star with her manager dad, must have pondered the bittersweet autobiographical implications. Might not Hannah/Miley one day outgrow her doting old dad? Well, Billy Ray's not in this film; I don't see his name anywhere on the credits and … how can I put this? It's all about how she achieves personal growth as an artist and a woman while her fictional dad battles with cancer, albeit a picturesque sort of cancer whose severest symptom appears to be fainting on the beach – in tactful longshot. Could it be that Miley, in her caring way, is subconsciously offering some sort of prognosis on Billy Ray's prospects in the business we call show?

I hardly dare think. Anyway, this is a film based on the latest bestseller by that black-belt heartwringer Nicholas Sparks. Miley plays a girl named Veronica, funkily shortened to Ronnie, a teen with indie-lite attitude and colossal but neglected musical talent. She goes with her cute kid brother to stay in Georgia at the house of their estranged dad, played by Greg Kinnear. He's a sensitive craftsman with a way-cool beach house and his employment consists in the leisurely restoration of a stained-glass window from a local church. This had earlier burned down in circumstances which turn out to be stunningly unexciting and unconvincing.

It isn't long before rebellious-yet-vulnerable Ronnie snares the heart of local hottie Will, played by Liam Hemsworth, whose good looks are matched by oodles of cash. As he drives her up to the family estate, she gasps that it is like "Graceland". Actually, it's more like Tara, but maybe that's an uncomfortable comparison round these parts. Soon he's inviting her to his sister's wedding, and kid brother gets a whole montage sequence, helping Ronnie pick out a dress, like Ugly Betty's little nephew, only not as gay.

There are just so many tears and crises along the way, but finally Ronnie realises her full potential as a musician and a strong person. And her dad? Well, maybe Billy Ray tried to persuade everyone involved that her dad should wind up becoming a healthy and massively successful stained-glass-window guy. But it doesn't exactly work out like that. The "last song"? In all conscience, that should really have been Billy Ray's Achy Breaky Heart in a brooding minor key. You'll feel the ache and hear the break.

• Drama films
• Film adaptations
• Miley Cyrus

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The Last Song

Time out says.

Ronnie Miller (Cyrus) has Georgia on her mind. That’s because this teen delinquent and former piano prodigy (she played Carnegie Hall when she was seven!) has been sent there for the summer to stay with her estranged composer father (Kinnear). While her annoying younger brother helps Dad build a stained-glass window for a burned-out church, dour Ronnie fends off a ravenous raccoon, brushes up on her Tolstoy and runs afoul of the local lasses who peg her as a city slut gone country. Then volleyball-player--car-mechanic--aquarium-volunteer Will Blakelee (Hemsworth)—the washboard-abs Ken to Ronnie’s skimpy-shorts Barbie—enters the picture. They meet cute over a spilled milkshake, and it isn’t long before they’re doing underwater canoodling, staring longingly at the horizon and making eternal declarations of love.

Director Julie Anne Robinson does the best she can with what she has, coaxing competent performances from the two leads (and a particularly fine one from a world-weary Kinnear) and adding so many soothing, widescreen pillow shots that it feels like you’re swimming through a sea of down with the Snuggle bear. But this is a Nicholas Sparks joint—the master of mush coadapted his own novel—so eventually there has to be a five-car pileup of melodramatic contrivances: an unfinished song, unsolved arson, cancer, class warfare and newly birthed sea turtles as an inspirational metaphor! Maybe Douglas Sirk could have made something profound out of the pseudo-ennobling horsepucky. As is, The Last Song is what the crinkle-nosed Southern belle in all of us would resoundingly deem “Trash! Trash! Trash!” —Keith Uhlich

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The Last Song Review

30 Apr 2010

105 minutes

Last Song, The

The combination of Nicholas Sparks’ ‘misery-lit lite’ and teenage singer didn’t work too well in A Walk To Remember with Mandy Moore, but he fares better adapting his own novel about a rebellious teenager (Miley Cyrus, in a non-singing role) who spends a few months with her estranged father (Greg Kinnear), has a chaste romance with a handsome (and usually shirtless) rich kid (ex-Neighbour Hemsworth) and — guess what? — “was never the same again after that summer”.

Teen girls raised on Hannah Montana and Twilight may be blindsided by the film’s sheer ordinariness, not to mention its third-act emotional downturn, but the film is engaging and honest, and its target market will find Cyrus’ inchoate rebelliousness relatable.

THE LAST SONG

By: debbie lynn elias

Ronnie Miller is your average American teenager but with a slightly dark, bad edge.  The product of a broken home, Ronnie lives in Manhattan with her mother and younger brother.  Using her parents’ divorce as an excuse for her bad attitude and bad behavior, which includes shoplifting violations, Ronnie proves a handful for her mother.  Her brother, Jonah, is also a challenge thanks to his penchant for precociousness.  But with summer vacation in full swing, mom decides it time for Ronnie and Jonah to spend some time with their father at his seaside home in Georgia.  Jonah is all for the vacay with Dad.  Ronnie on the other hand greets the trip and her father with more anger and hatred than a trip to the dentist.   Miserable to a fault, it’s clear that Ronnie intends to do everything she can to aggravate and ignore her father.

But, surprise, surprise.  Things aren’t all that bad in this quaint little town by the sea.   There are carnivals and boardwalks, street vendors on the beach, sea turtles that need protection, teens her own age, a gorgeous hunk of a guy named Will.    For Jonah, there’s also plenty to do as he becomes his father’s right hand man in making a stained glass window for the local church which had been destroyed in a fire.

As summer unfolds, life not in the fast lane begins to take hold of Ronnie, as does Will.  An animal activist, Ronnie assumes the responsibility of saving a nest of sea turtle eggs, showing a caring nurturing side of herself that obviously spawns from her own feeling of abandonment by her father.  And as it turns out, Will works at the local aquarium with animal preservation, giving the two a basis to start their own somewhat rocky romance dance.    Days go by and life gets better and brighter for Ronnie, who even starts happily spending some time with her dad (in between that with Will, of course).  But, as to be expected, that happiness is to be short lived.

Miley Cyrus tackles the role of Ronnie and I must say, this is a Miley we haven’t seen before.  Gone is the Hannah Montana blonde wig and pink color palette (According to Cyrus, “one [wig] will be in a museum and one will be burned”).  Before us is a Cyrus with a new maturity and a slightly deeper emotional layer.  She totally surprised me.  And it’s wonderful to see her act with someone playing her parent rather than her own father.  Her interactions with Greg Kinnear are wonderfully honest and true.   She holds her own with more difficult material, buoyed by veterans like Kinnear and Kelly Preston.  However, she needs to work a little more on her emotional depth when it comes to sadness and welling up those tears (I think she could take lessons from many of us who were watching the film), but in terms of being a moody, conflicted teen at odds with dad, finding a first love, struggling to find her own voice and herself, and facing loss, she was right on point.   “You have to go deeper than [crying] and realize what it’s going to be like when you are watching an hour and a half film. You don’t just want to see one type of emotion. You want to see her getting through it, putting up her guard and trying to have strength.”   And while the character doesn’t focus on singing or performing, an important part of Ronnie is the fact she is a child prodigy piano player, which also serves as the common bond with her father.  Requiring Cyrus to take “two piano lessons”, she describes her playing as “started out kind of messy, but I got better and better. By the end of the movie, I think I actually had the song down.”   Beyond the music, the key to her identification with Ronnie were the animals.  “The animals were really cool. There were things that were a little bit of me within the character, but it was also really different but I think the music was probably the main thing that I related to.”

Making his feature film debut as Will is another hunk from Down Under, Liam Hemsworth.  A former soap actor in Australia,  Hemsworth had no fears about making the leap to the big screen – or working with Cyrus.  His greatest fear and challenge , however, was the fact that Will is an outstanding beach volleyball player.  “Volleyball was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. Before we started shooting, they asked me, ‘Do you play volleyball?,’ and I said, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ And, I turned up for the first day of volleyball practice and I was honestly really scared to shoot the volleyball part because it takes a lot of skills to play that game and I didn’t have them, at all.”   Strong and commanding in his own right, he has a lightness and ease dealing with strong emotional material.  One of the wonderful aspects of THE LAST SONG is watching the undeniable chemistry develop between Hemsworth and Cyrus. Paired with Cyrus, their relationship is beyond believable, something that has since played out in real life for them.

When it comes to Bobby Coleman’s performance as Jonah, be aware that he steals every scene from everyone.  His comedic timing is perfect. His emotions are pure. His reactions emotionally driven.   And Greg Kinnear , what’s not to love about him.  As Steve Miller he brings genuine heartfelt emotion to the role and the project as a whole.  His performance is glorious.  And he also not only learned to play the piano, but learned the art of stained glass.

As comes as no surprise, Nicholas Sparks hits another emotional homerun with THE LAST SONG.  Personally, I believe this is his best work.   Beautifully bittersweet and tender, Sparks calls on events that have transformed his own life.  Never ceasing to amaze me with his passion and depth of feeling, with THE LAST SONG he faced a new challenge.  “The main challenge of Ronnie’s character was not being a 17 year old girl.  That I can do.  It was being an angry 17 year old girl and yet you had to make her likeable.  Otherwise you can’t go 20 minutes into a movie.  If you don’t like the character, you’re not going to watch the movie.  If you don’t like the character in the book, you’re not going to finish reading it.  So, how do you make her be angry and yet, show these touches of humanity so that you say, ‘yeah, you’re still pretty good underneath.’  She doesn’t drink.  She’s not necessarily friendly to her father but she comes him.  She’s really nice to her younger brother.  You try to show these flashes of humanity.  It’s more of a veneer.”   Interestingly, for the novel, the hardest character to write was Steve.  “Steve is a very passive character and I’m not a passive person.  He was a very challenging character.  And then again, of course, he had to have his own journey which he was working through.”  Adding layers to the story are multiple integral subplots and environmental issues that are key to emotional plot  development.

After speaking with her at length, Julie Ann Robinson is definitely on my radar as a director to watch.  Her passion and joy for the filmmaking process and storytelling is uplifting.   Making her feature debut, her direction is fluid and steady, running at an easy pace. Although when tapped for the assignment Sparks had yet to complete the script,  “I think I had a very clear vision for the movie that I wanted to make.  I was very supported by the execs at Disney.  They wanted me to bring that indie film, edgy sensibility to the film.”   Working hand in hand with cinematographer John Lindley, Robinson’s use of long shots and wide shots goes far in helping to further Sparks’ emotional tone of the story.   Encouraged by producer Adam Shankman to “give a sense of space to the movie”, “I wanted to place emotions in the context of the island and make [characters] feel lost and alone”, particularly with one scene involving Jonah staring out at the water which for Robinson “is one of my favorite shots.”  “I try to tell a story with the camera as well as telling a story with the actors” as is evidenced with the breathtaking calm of the eddys, rivers and lakes balanced against the fury of the ocean, all analogous to the emotion of the story. And Lindley’s cinematography is absolutely stunning.

Difficult enough for seasoned veterans, Robinson also faced environmental challenges with THE LAST SONG.  Shot on the exquisite Tybee Island off the Georgia coast, the coastline is environmentally protected which means caution at every turn for a filmmaker.    “As a community of filmmakers we wanted to be respectful of the island as much as we could.  Every time we wanted to walk on a dune we would have to get permission from the Agency and sometimes we would have to make pathways through the dune.  Those are protected areas.  We even built our own dunes which helped with camera angles.”  So perfect in their environmental creation, the dunes were permitted to remain as part of the natural terrain after filming.   An added difficulty was the weather. “The thunderstorms and tropical rainstorms we were contending with almost every day near the end.  Then jellyfish in the water.”

And Robinson can also add the title of “turtle wrangler” to her resume with this shoot.  “Nobody thought we could do it. We had a turtle wrangler named Mark who said ‘Julie Ann, I can bring you some baby turtles so you can shoot the scene.’  Everybody was skeptical, from people back at Disney, my First AD, the producer.  ‘Oh, we’re going to have to CGI these turtles.’  On this one day, we got a call from Mark, ‘We’ve got the baby turtles.  You can shoot with the baby turtles.’  I so much wanted them to be the real turtles so you could have a real emotional reaction from the actors to seeing these little guys.  It was tricky to shoot because the turtles only go into the ocean at nighttime.  We had to shoot at dusk so we only had a 15 minute window to shoot.  We shot over four nights.  The turtles are preprogrammed to walk towards the water.  And we weren’t allowed to have any artificial light on the turtles because they are attracted by the glinting lights of the ocean.  In terms of filmmaking it was a tricky exercise.  The turtles would agree to do probably only 3 takes and then we would scoop them all up and then put them in the ocean ourselves.  It was so moving.  And then Miley jumped in the ocean with her whole dress on because she was so overwhelmed.”

A story of life, death, transition, growth and above all, love of family, it is impossible not to be swept into the emotion and heart of THE LAST SONG.    And may I say right now ladies – and guys – before you walk into the theater, have boxes of tissues in hand and waterproof mascara in place.

Ronnie Miller – Miley Cyrus

Steve Miller – Greg Kinnear

Will Blakelee – Liam Hemsworth

Jonah Miller – Bobby Coleman

Directed by Julie Ann Robinson.  Written by Nicholas Sparks.

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The Last Song (2010) movie review and film analysis

“The Last Song” follows Ronnie Miller (played by Miley Cyrus). A rebellious teenager sent to spend the summer with her estranged father, Steve Miller (played by Greg Kinnear). Initially resistant to the idea, Ronnie finds solace and healing through her unexpected connection with a local boy named Will Blakelee (played by Liam Hemsworth). As Ronnie and Will’s romance blossoms, they navigate through family secrets, personal challenges, and the power of forgiveness. Against the backdrop of picturesque beaches and Southern charm. Ronnie learns valuable lessons about love, loss, and the importance of cherishing every moment. Greg Kinnear delivers a heartfelt performance as Steve. Adding depth to the father-daughter dynamic and highlighting the themes of redemption and reconciliation woven throughout the film.

The Last Song 

What an appropriate name for this film considering the best part of this film is the last song played during the end credits. “The Last Song” is unfortunately not a good movie. From start to finish, it’s riddled with bad acting from the two leads, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth. Their performances lack depth and fail to engage the audience, leaving much to be desired in terms of emotional connection and authenticity.

Moreover, the film suffers from poor writing and bad dialogue. Which severely hampers viewers’ ability to become invested in the story or the characters’ relationships. The pacing is atrocious, failing to build tension or momentum effectively. Instead of engaging in meaningful character development or advancing the plot. The film relies too heavily on unnecessary montages that add little to no value. These montages detract from the overall narrative flow and contribute to the disjointed feel of the film. 

However, amidst the sea of mediocrity, there are a few bright spots worth mentioning. Greg Kinnear delivers a commendable performance as Steve, Ronnie’s father, injecting the film with much-needed heart and sincerity. His portrayal adds depth to the father-daughter dynamic and elevates the emotional stakes of the story.

Additionally, Bobby Coleman shines as Jonah. Ronnie’s younger brother, showcasing impressive talent for a young actor, especially in the film’s more emotional scenes. His performance adds a layer of authenticity to the family dynamics and provides some of the film’s more genuine moments.

As always for a Nicholas Sparks adaptation, the film’s location is stunning. Providing a picturesque backdrop for the unfolding drama. The coastal setting adds to the film’s charm and offers a sense of escapism for viewers. Ironically I wished I could escape this movie.

And finally, the song played during the end credits, “When I Look at You” by Miley Cyrus, is an absolute throwback banger that serves as a redeeming quality in an otherwise lacklustre film. Its powerful lyrics and emotional resonance leave a lasting impression. Offering a glimpse of the potential that the film could have achieved with stronger writing and performances.

Chemistry, Writing, Dialogue

For a film that hinges on the budding romance between the two leads. And that launched the two leads into a real life romance the chemistry is disappointingly lacking. Apart from a few fleeting moments, such as when they share wordless glances, the connection between Miley Cyrus’s Ronnie and Liam Hemsworth’s Will feels forced and unconvincing. These silent scenes are the highlights of their chemistry. Suggesting that perhaps more emphasis on nonverbal communication could have salvaged their relationship on screen. The writing and dialogue fail to provide depth or authenticity to their interactions, leaving viewers struggling to believe in their connection.

Moreover, the lack of chemistry between Cyrus and Hemsworth underscores the need for better writing and character development. Rather than relying solely on dialogue, the film could have benefited from more silent scenes between the two, allowing their chemistry to develop naturally. Additionally, both actors could have benefited from further acting lessons to enhance their on-screen rapport. Without a solid foundation of chemistry and believable interactions, the central romance falls flat, detracting from the overall impact of the film. Overall, “The Last Song” highlights the importance of effective writing, dialogue, and acting in building a convincing on-screen romance.

This Could Have Been a Father and Son Film

Greg Kinnear and Bobby Coleman emerge as the standout performers in the film. Kinnear’s portrayal of Steve Miller, Ronnie’s father, showcases his versatility as an actor, particularly his comedic timing which adds levity to the film. His ability to seamlessly transition from humorous moments to emotional scenes highlights his depth as a performer.

 Similarly, Bobby Coleman shines as Jonah Miller, Ronnie’s younger brother, delivering a memorable performance that tugs at the heartstrings. Coleman’s comedic abilities bring a sense of charm and innocence to his character, making him a joy to watch on screen. 

Furthermore, both actors excel in the film’s emotional scenes, conveying a range of complex emotions with authenticity and depth. Their performances leave a lasting impact, leaving viewers wishing for more screen time with these compelling characters.

Should You Watch The Last Song

While “The Last Song” has a few redeeming qualities, such as the standout performances of Greg Kinnear and Bobby Coleman, it ultimately falls short of being a worthwhile watch. Despite its picturesque setting and the nostalgic throwback of Miley Cyrus’s “When I Look at You” during the end credits, these elements alone cannot salvage the film. The lack of chemistry between the leads, coupled with poor writing and dialogue, makes it difficult to become invested in the central romance. Even for fans of Nicholas Sparks or romance movies, this film is a disappointment that can be easily skipped without missing much.

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The Last Song (2010)

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The Last Song

Based on best-selling novelist Nicholas Sparks' ("A Walk to Remember," "The Notebook") forthcoming novel, "The Last Song" is set in a small Southern beach town where an estranged father (Greg Kinnear) gets a chance to spend the summer with his reluctant teenaged daughter (Miley Cyrus), who'd rather be home in New York. He tries to reconnect with her through the only thing they have in common—music—in a story of family, friendship, secrets and salvation, along with first loves and second chances.

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The Last Song

Dove Review

Although the lead character, Ronnie (Miley Cyrus), begins the film as an angry, emotionally closed-off teenager who yells at and disrespects her father, this only leads to the eventual lessons of forgiveness and love that she learns. Her father shows the value of unconditional love, which Ronnie eventually learns to emulate later in the story when she shows kindness to a girl who had snubbed her and framed her for stealing. Ultimately, Ronnie learns that everybody needs forgiveness because “everyone makes mistakes; even people we love.”

Ronnie’s behavior is that of a better than average teenage girl: she gets mad at her parents, but doesn’t drink, smoke, have sex with boys or rebel in any obvious way other than perhaps staying out too late. Reference is made to her shoplifting in New York, but when she is tempted by a friend to do it again, she boldly refuses. Ronnie’s journey from emotional poverty to fulfilling, rich relationships is a familiar arc that will hit home with many frustrated young teens. Due to some mild language and sophisticated themes, we are recommending it for ages twelve and above. This is an inspiring movie! We gladly award it our Dove “Family-Approved” Seal.

Dove Rating Details

Man dragged from a burning building, two teenage boys have a fight and punch each other; one leaves bleeding.

Several instances of the two lead teenage characters kissing; a boy trying to put his arms around an unwilling girl; a girl is staying with her boyfriend but there are no scenes of implied sex.

G/OMG-2; H-1; B-1, P-2, D-2, with a few sporadic words like “suck,” “stupid” and “shut up".

Minor teenage characters drink alcohol; the drinking of champagne.

From time to time, the lead character wears shirts that show her midriff, several scenes with girls in bikinis on a beach and shirtless boys playing beach volleyball, a split second where cleavage is visible.

Girl is seen stuffing fabric down her dress; one character frames another for stealing; a character collapses; death is a recurrent theme.

More Information

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The Last Song

The last song review.

By Rich Cline

Facts and Figures

Year : 2010

Genre : Dramas

Run time : 107 mins

In Theaters : Wednesday 31st March 2010

Box Office USA : $42.4M

Distributed by : Walt Disney Studios

Production compaines : Touchstone Pictures

Contactmusic.com : 3 / 5

Rotten Tomatoes : 20% Fresh: 23 Rotten: 93

IMDB : 5.7 / 10

Cast & Crew

Director : Julie Anne Robinson

Producer : Jennifer Gibgot , Adam Shankman

Screenwriter : Nicholas Sparks , Jeff Van Wie

Starring : Miley Cyrus as Ronnie Miller, Greg Kinnear as Steve Miller, Bobby Coleman as Jonah Miller, Liam Hemsworth as Will Blakelee, Hallock Beals as Scott, Kelly Preston as Kim, Nick Lashaway as Marcus, Carly Chaikin as Blaze, Kate Vernon as Susan Blakelee, Melissa Ordway as Ashley, Nick Searcy as Tom Blakelee, Adam Barnett as Teddy, Brandon Cyrus as Volleyball Guy

Also starring : Jennifer Gibgot , Adam Shankman , Nicholas Sparks

• The Last Song Movie Site
• Rotten Tomatoes

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The Last Song Parent Guide

Miley cyrus fans will likely weep their way through this teen tearjerker. other audience members may be less than smitten with the "the last song"..

Veronica 'Ronnie' Miller (Miley Cyrus) still hasn't forgiven her parents for their divorce three years ago. So she is not happy when her Mom (Kelly Preston) decides to send her to live with her Dad (Greg Kinnear) for the summer. Yet, the tiny beach town, a handsome boy (Liam Hemsworth) and a shared love of music, may indeed be just what the angry seventeen-year-old girl needs.

Release date March 31, 2010

Run Time: 108 minutes

Official Movie Site

Get Content Details

The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

Miley Cyrus fans will likely weep their way through this teen tearjerker. Other audience members, however, may be less than smitten with the The Last Song.

Despite the number of Nicholas Sparks’ novels that have been tailored for the big screen, this is the first time the author has penned the screenplay as well. Unfortunately too many of the scenes in this adaptation suffer from awkward or unbelievable dialogue and others, which appear to have some potential, are shoved on the screen and then yanked off before the characters or circumstances have time to develop. It takes some consummate acting skills to give life to these clumsy lines and regrettably Miley Cyrus is not a consummate actress—at least not yet.

In the story, Ronnie is a defiant, sulking teen who wears a scowl that would scare off a pit bull. Forced in the back seat of her mother’s (Kelly Preston) SUV, she and her little brother Jonah (played by Coleman) are hauled off to spend the summer with their estranged father (Greg Kinnear) in a Georgia beach town. While I can think of worse places to be dumped, Ronnie is still seething over her parents’ divorce and appears to want some kind of blood sacrifice to atone for their decision to separate. Even though she has exceptional talent and years of musical training, she also punishes her mom and dad by refusing to sit down at the piano or accept an invitation to Julliard.

After arriving on Tybee Island, Ronnie has an accidental run-in with one of the local boys. While she is pushing through the throng at a shoreline carnival, Will Blakelee (Liam Hemsworth) unintentionally bowls her over during a beach volleyball game. Maintaining the same “I’ll forgive when I am ready” attitude that she uses with her parents, Ronnie refuses to graciously accept his apology. Undeterred by her rudeness, Will continues to try and engage the glowering girl every time he sees her in the small town. Eventually he wears her down with a long and lingering kiss on the beach. But the rest of the film is spent watching Ronnie boomerang between professions of love and loathing for the young man. Her ever-changing attitudes make it difficult to feel any real affection for the troubled teen.

On the other hand, Ronnie makes a few good decisions that most parents will appreciate while watching this film with their preteens. Given a chance to consume alcohol at a late night make out session on the beach, Ronnie rejects both alcohol and some advances from an inebriated partygoer. As well she refuses to be involved in stealing from a street vendor. Later she helps a girl in an abusive relationship find the courage to get out. Audiences will also see more than one lip lock between Ronnie and Will, yet there isn’t even a hint of more intimate relations. And Ronnie finally exhibits some maturity when a family tragedy befalls them. Ultimately she even takes her eyes off her own problems long enough to help someone else.

In a similar fashion, viewers will have to look past this film’s flaws and lock on those few redeeming qualities in order to appreciate this story. Otherwise this summer romance barely earns a passing grade even for Hannah Montana fans who are ready to watch their favorite sitcom star grow up.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Watch the trailer for the last song.

The Last Song Rating & Content Info

Why is The Last Song rated PG? The Last Song is rated PG by the MPAA for thematic material, some violence, sensuality and mild language.

Set on the beach, this film includes countless girls in bikinis, wet t-shirts and low cut or midriff-baring summer clothes. Characters exchange lengthy kisses on several occasions. A man who is drunk attempts to cuddle up with a girl who refuses his advances. The young man is also involved in a number of other altercations, one of which involves a metal tool and results in a bloody face. Characters discuss a drinking party that caused property damage. Other young adults are involved in discussions or portrayals of drinking. Characters drink at dinner and a wedding. A girl discusses her arrest for shoplifting and later is caught with a stolen item in her purse. A girl argues with her parents and sibling. A boy discusses the death of this brother. The script contains a handful of mild profanities and terms of Deity.

Page last updated July 4, 2019

The Last Song Parents' Guide

Ronnie receives an invitation to attend Julliard despite her failing school grades. How realistic is that? What kind of commitment do students have to exhibit to be accepted into a prestigious school such as this?

What impact does the divorce of Ronnie’s parents have on her and her brother? Why does her outlook change by the end of the film? What does she do to atone for her attitude?

The most recent home video release of The Last Song movie is August 17, 2010. Here are some details…

The Last Song releases on August 17, 2010. The DVD and Blu-ray editions come with the following bonus extras:

- Note: Set Tour with Bobby Coleman

- Miley Cyrus Music Video: When I Look At You

- Making of the Music Video, When I Look At You with Miley Cyrus

The Last Song on Blu-ray also includes:

- Alternate Opening Sequence (with optional commentary by director): The Church Fire

- Deleted Scenes (with optional commentary by director): Ronnie At The Piano ,Steve & Ronnie, At The Beach, Hospital Montage, Vegan Cookies and Juggling On The Pier.

- Audio Commentary- with Director Julie Anne Robinson and Co-Producer Jennifer Gibgot

Related home video titles:

This movie is based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks, whose writing also inspired the screenplays of The Notebook, A Walk to Remember and Dear John . As well, Miley Cyrus can be seen in Hannah Montana: The Movie and the Hannah Montana: Best of Both Worlds Concert , and heard (as the voice of Penny) in the animated film Bolt .

Related news about The Last Song

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‘MaXXXine’ Is Punch-Drunk on Pastiche

Ti West’s stalk-and-slash set pieces hit all the classic marks but rarely transcend them

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Give Ti West this: He’s completed the quickest trilogy in contemporary horror movie history. Barely two years after X introduced us to its gore-soaked version of the MCU—that’d be the Maxine Cinematic Universe, named for the ornery and resourceful would-be-porn-star-cum-Final-Girl embodied by Mia Goth—West has jerry-rigged a triptych whose conceptual sturdiness and artistic merit are, if far from certain, at least worthy of debate. With the release of MaXXXine , the question is whether West has truly succeeded in carving out a niche of his own or whether his series is just a (figuratively) bloodless exercise in received themes and aesthetics.

To return to the initial film: There was plenty to like about X , which took a lurid, high-concept premise—i.e., what if Boogie Nights were drenched in more crimson bodily fluids?—and used it to limn the practical and spiritual overlap between two kindred and disreputable forms of cinema (that’d be horror and porn). Nostalgia and sleaze are a potent combination, and the spectacle of nubile, solipsistic exhibitionists being systematically eviscerated by the wizened, married homesteaders whose farm they’d commandeered for a skin-flick shoot nodded to vintage traditions. (For extra ’70s resonance, there was even a cover of “Landslide.”) The ace up West’s sleeve, meanwhile, was hidden in plain view: By casting Goth in a dual role as both a hard-edged starlet and a catatonic, knife-wielding crone—the latter of whom seems to envy her younger doppelgänger’s ripe flesh even as she’s stabbing at it—West tapped into a rich vein of grotesquerie that was also dripping with melancholy.

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The same ratio of sadism and anguish carried over to Pearl , which flashed back to the 1910s to document the eponymous villain’s formative years—as well as the roots of the adult film industry in an era of one-reel stag films. (Pearl, it seems, was born ready for her close-up.) Like its predecessor, West’s prequel was designed primarily as a showcase for Goth, whose elongated physicality and unsettling expressivity have made her a kind of It Girl for directors on (or near) the cutting edge of cinematic provocation. (In addition to West, she’s collaborated with Lars von Trier, Claire Denis, Luca Guadagnino, and Brandon Cronenberg.) None of these variously gifted filmmakers have given the actor as much to work with as West, who clearly loves putting his leading lady in outrageous situations—including molesting her own mirror image, cosplaying Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz , and making out with a scarecrow—and watching her squirm, snarl, or slash her way out of them. To this end, Pearl also gifts its star with a late, barn-burning monologue that unfolds in a single take, a bravura piece of writing that could be used in the future by aspiring genre ingenues, even if it’s unlikely they could equal Goth’s rubber-faced aplomb.

With this in mind, MaXXXine begins with an audition piece—one that recalls Pearl ’s centerpiece scene and that sutures its themes into an increasingly intricate franchise timeline. The setting is Los Angeles circa 1985, a half decade after the events of X , which, as we’re shown, have become mythological tabloid fodder. After fleeing the scene of the crime—and eluding both the authorities and her Bible-thumping father, glimpsed in X via a series of fire-and-brimstone PSAs—Maxine has dyed her hair blond, boned up on her VHS collection, and become the toast of the local porno circuit. What she really wants to do, though, is act with her clothes on: After scoring a reading for an upcoming religious horror movie, our heroine channels her trauma into the dialogue, Mulholland Drive style, impressing the self-consciously ball-breaking, would-be-artiste director (a deadpan Elizabeth Debicki) enough that she’s willing to take a chance on an unknown. No sooner has Maxine processed her triumph, however, than a mysterious figure with knowledge of her true identity emerges, wielding threats of blackmail (or worse).

The mid-’80s backdrop gives West and his production designers a whole new set of textures to play with, and their re-creation of Los Angeles teems with vivid, eye-catching details. (The neon-drenched streets deliberately evoke Brian De Palma’s seminal Body Double from 1984.) The setting also coincides with the grisly crimes of “the Night Stalker”—the Bay Area and SoCal serial killer whose media-appointed nickname made him the perfect bogeyman for an era known colloquially as “Morning in America.” In a scene-setting montage comprising archival footage, West juxtaposes Richard Ramirez and Ronald Reagan, hinting not so subtly that, on some level, the president and the predator represented two sides of the same ideological coin, converging their energies in the so-called satanic panic that saw the Gipper’s evangelical base lashing out in reactionary furor against what they perceived as the demonic influence of popular culture.

West has already made a movie set during this period: 2009’s skillful and scary The House of the Devil , which similarly luxuriated in period decor without sacrificing shock and intensity (including one of the greatest kills of all time, featuring a pre-superstardom Greta Gerwig). By contrast, the biggest problem with MaXXXine is that it’s completely punch-drunk on pastiche; by putting everything in scare quotes, West ensures that nothing is actually scary—a miscalculation that neuters the movie’s impact. The fake red-carpet protests organized for the movie’s premiere underline this problem; when a movie has to import its own scandalized, pearl-clutching detractors—as opposed to actually giving pious or censorious types something to scream about—it doesn’t bode well for any sort of real cult status.

Speaking of which: It’s clear that one of West’s structural and tonal models is Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood , which isn’t a horror movie but still bristles with a sense of dread—think of the slow-burning Spahn Ranch sequence, which scrambles genre archetypes (it’s a menagerie of hippies, cowboys, and serial killers) but never telegraphs where it’s going. MaXXXine ’s stalk-and-slash set pieces hit all the right marks—deep-red giallo lighting; close-ups of black-gloved hands; murky camcorder textures à la Lost Highway —but rarely transcend them. (One exception: a close encounter with a knife-wielding Buster Keaton impersonator who ends up getting his balls stomped on; I don’t know what West has against Keaton, but I didn’t see that coming.)

If there’s a scene that emblematizes MaXXXine ’s spoiled promise, it comes about halfway through: After injuring the private investigator (Kevin Bacon) hired by the unseen big bad to harass her, Maxine is shocked to see him on set, nose bandaged like Jake Gittes in Chinatown. He chases her through a series of faux period backdrops all the way to the front door of the Bates Motel, at which point … nothing happens. All that rich Hollywood iconography never coalesces into anything: It’s a hall of mirrors that reflects nothing except its maker’s frame of reference. (Although it is nice to see West’s mentor Larry Fessenden on hand as a benign security guard—probably the first time that the indie stalwart has ever been on a big studio lot.) Some horror movies thrive in incoherence, but if anything, MaXXXine is too lucid for its own good: It’s an almost entirely plot-based movie, and it doesn’t help that the central mystery—specifically the identity of the silent, faceless figure pursuing Maxine at every turn—is so thin. If the best horror movies make their climactic revelations feel simultaneously shocking and inevitable, MaXXXine ’s resolution is merely predictable—and disappointing given the larger intimations of some grand narrative design.

In light of these flaws, it almost doesn’t matter that Goth holds the screen as fully as she does—almost. MaXXXine is framed by a quote by Bette Davis that explains in show business, women have to be perceived as monsters before they can be held up as stars, and Goth—who’s closer to having Bette Davis eyes than most members of her generational cohort—conveys the right mix of righteous self-possession and sinister ambition to give the film’s coda a little bit of friction. The closing tableau, which calls back to Pearl ’s boldly confrontational finale, is clever and ambivalent—enough so to make us wish that the movie attached was more worthy of it. At the same time, the final shots clarify something about the ultimate artificiality of West’s project, which amounts in the end to nothing more than a series of exquisite corpses—shapely but ersatz body doubles ready-made for dissection and then filed away in the crowded necropolis of genre cinema.

Adam Nayman is a film critic, teacher, and author based in Toronto; his book The Coen Brothers: This Book Really Ties the Films Together is available now from Abrams.

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With her creamy wardrobe of tasteful neutrals and dreamy mansion in the Paris suburbs, Léa Drucker ’s Anne has created an impenetrable exterior for herself in “ Last Summer .” At least, that’s how it looks from the outside.  

But Anne doesn’t know she’s the main character in a Catherine Breillat movie, and so she – and we – are up for some upheaval. The provocative French auteur is back with her first feature in more than a decade, and at nearly 76, remains as curious and clear-eyed as ever in her depiction of women’s sexuality. There’s no judgment in her portrayal of Anne’s torrid, taboo affair; her downfall will occur regardless of what we think of her. Breillat’s approach is technically intimate yet tonally detached -- languid as a summer’s day, sometimes unbearably so, and often uncomfortably warm. 

When we first meet Anne, though, she’s coolly in command. A lawyer who works on behalf of teenage sexual assault victims and other young people in peril, she’s doing meaningful work that also means something to her. She’s compassionate yet firm as she questions her latest client, preparing this young woman for the interrogation she’ll surely endure in court. Anne is efficient and capable but also impossibly chic, and Drucker makes her wholly captivating from the start. 

But that façade begins to crumble when her wealthy, older husband, Pierre ( Olivier Rabourdin ), announces that his 17-year-old son from his first marriage has screwed up again, and he’d like to have him move in with them for a while. Pierre and Anne already have adorable, adopted daughters who bring youthful cheer to the home. Inviting this young troublemaker is an unwelcome disruption. 

Once the shameless (and frequently shirtless) Théo arrives, we can feel a bristling tension between him and Anne from the start. With his shaggy hair and lanky limbs,  Samuel Kircher makes Théo the picture of teenage rebellion. And yet, we also catch glimpses of a goofy, gooey interior when he plays with his younger sisters, who worship him. In time, an unlikely conspiratorial bond forms between Anne and Théo, which turns to furtive scooter rides and afternoon drinks, which turns to more once Pierre conveniently leaves town on business. Breillat holds her camera in long takes, letting us linger in the moment as they smoke and drink in the backyard, their body language growing a little too familiar. The constant wine consumption serves as a lubricant over these long, lazy days.  

So when Anne and Théo finally give in to their attraction, it simply feels like a given. Of course, this was going to happen. Breillat once again shoots these scenes with unbroken simplicity, holding the shot long after the act is over, giving us time to interpret the look on Anne’s face. This is unsexy sex, but it’s clearly transformative. 

“Last Summer” is a remake of the 2019 Danish film “ Queen of Hearts ,” but Breillat makes the material her own in her signature, uncompromising manner. Once this incest-adjacent affair is on the verge of being exposed, the tension changes; the slow buildup of whether they’ll get caught shifts to the intensity of the potential damage to come. And yet, Breillat maintains a matter-of-fact tone throughout, allowing the power to come instead from Drucker’s masterful performance. We watch as she morphs seamlessly from showing the defenses of a caged animal to becoming the predator herself, gaslighting her accusers. The hypocrisy of Anne’s acts , given the kind of law she practices, is obvious, but Breillat is experienced enough to know she doesn’t need to spell that out for us. Quite the contrary – we see Anne harness all those expert interrogation techniques to turn the tables on anyone who dares come for her.  

Oddly, you might find yourself rooting for her to get away with it all – and then realize you feel uncomfortable about the fact that you’re rooting for her to get away with it all. Such is the complicated sorcery of a Catherine Breillat film.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series "Ebert Presents At the Movies" opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

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‘house of the dragon’ season 2, episode 3 recap and review: old feuds and bad blood.

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House of the Dragon

Sunday night’s episode of House of the Dragon opens on an old feud. A group of Brackens and a group of Blackwoods argue over the border of their lands. One side has committed to Rhaenyra’s cause; the other, to Aegon’s. It seems likely that the only reason they’re supporting different sides is out of spite. Hotter heads prevail when it comes to a kingdom on the precipice of war, even if no bloodshed is as appalling to the gods as that of kin slaying kin.

This petty squabble ends with words and shoving. One young man draws his sword. Then the scene cuts to sometime later and the same field littered with the corpses of both Houses as far as the eye can see. The countryside is slick with blood and wreckage. The old windmill has seen better days.

So the first real battle of the Dance of Dragons has finally taken place, albeit offscreen (I think to great effect). It won’t be the last. It seems that much of Season 2, or at least its first half, will be devoted to the early rumblings of war rather than to the war itself, and to the cooler heads’ attempting to call the whole thing off. Daemon (Matt Smith) and Aemond (Ewan Mitchell) want war, clearly, but what about Rhaenyra (Emma D’Arcy) and Allicent (Olivia Cooke)?

Allicent and Rhaenyra

Rhaenyra discusses the coming bloodshed with her aunt, Rhaenys (Eve Best) and decides she must go to King’s Landing to meet with Allicent face-to-face. She asks Mysaria (Sonoya Mizuno) for help, and the White Worm gives her the one location the Queen Dowager visits without anyone watching: The Great Sept, where she goes to light candles and say her prayers.

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Rhaenyra disguises herself as a nun and makes her way to the Sept where she finds Allicent and kneels beside her, much to her once-friend’s shock. She pleads with Allicent to do whatever she can to avoid war, and then the conversation turns to what exactly King Viserys I said in his dying moments. It’s a pretty big revelation to both of them when it turns out he was discussing “the prince that was promised” and the Song of Ice and Fire—not Aegon his son at all. But Allicent, though clearly shaken, says it’s too late. War is coming and there’s nothing she can—or will—do about it.

Allow me a moment to complain, not about this show but about Game Of Thrones. I’m reminded of just how desperately silly the ending was and the many foibles made especially in Season 8. I maintain, though I’m not sure George R.R. Martin will ever finish his books to prove me right, that Jon Snow is the Song of Ice and Fire. He is the prince that was promised—not Daenerys, as the show kept hinting at, stupidly, before making it clear she was anything but.

In fact, the show simply discarded all prophecy as gracelessly and clumsily as possible. Jon didn’t fight and kill the Night King. Arya swooped in at the 11th hour and managed that because the show gave her massive superpowers for no good reason whatsoever, making her far, far less interesting as a character in the process.

Then Jon kills Dany and is exiled, while Bran of all people becomes king! Jon was the heir to the Iron Throne! He was the blood of Stark (ice) and Targaryen (fire)! House of the Dragon makes it clear that this prophecy is a big enough deal to include in a prequel but it just reminds me of how badly Thrones screwed up.

Anyways . . . Rhaenyra’s attempt to avoid war was only a half-baked one at best. She never offered Allicent anything as a bargaining chip. All she did is insist that she was the rightful heir, that her father loved her and that Allicent was mistaken. Did she hope that simply stating her belief about the throne over again would somehow convince the Queen Dowager, and that she would then—empty-handed—be able to avert war? Convince Aegon to what—give up the throne? There was a time for that, when Aegon clearly didn’t want it, but that ship has sailed.

A few other very significant things happened this episode. Rhaenyra sends her youngest boys away with Rhaena (Phoebe Campbell) Daemon’s daughter and younger sister to Beala, to go to the Vale. Rhaena, as you may recall, is the one family member who still doesn’t have her own dragon. This makes her feel very left out of all the fun, especially the “fly a dragon around patrolling for enemies” fun. But along with the children, Rhaenyra sends Rhaena off with a clutch of unhatched dragon eggs. This mollifies her to some degree.

(It turns out that these are, indeed, Dany’s eggs in Game Of Thrones, though this is a major departure from Martin’s Fire and Blood. I go into further depth in this piece on how this is different from the book and what it means).

Daemon, meanwhile, makes his way to a very wet, very dreary and mostly unoccupied Harrenhal where he meets with the steward, Ser Simon Strong (Simon Russell Beale) and takes up residence, eager to raise armies and rebuild the massive fortress. The Riverlands, it appears, are the key to the entire war and both Team Green and Team Black are making their preparations to bring the lords of the Riverlands to their respective sides. Old Grover Tully is ancient and infirm, however, and his bannermen fractious and unruly as a result.

At this dark castle, Daemon has a strange vision of a young Rhaenyra—Milly Alcock’s first appearance on the show since the first half of Season 1 and quite a surprise!—sewing young prince Jaehaerys’s head back on.

Side-note: I love you, George R.R. Martin, but if you had made these names easier to spell, you might have finished Winds of Winter by now. Sigh.

Daemon in Harrenhal

This is not a normal run-of-the-windmill vision, but one that a witch lends the taciturn prince—er, my pardon, your Grace— and mark my words, this particular witch will have a much larger part to play as this story progresses. “You will die in this castle,” she tells Daemon. Witches are always prophesying the dourest things in Westeros.

I don’t think the show conveys this well, but Daemon effectively just captured Harrenhal for Team Black without shedding a drop of blood. Landing his dragon, Caraxes, on the roof certainly helped. Strong’s dislike of his relative, Larys Strong (Matthew Needham) doesn’t hurt. Larys, meanwhile, becomes Master of Whispers this same episode, thanks to his endless good advice for young Aegon II (Tom Glynn-Carney).

We also meet two other significant new characters. The first is Gwayne Hightower (Freddie Fox of Slow Horses who plays this type of character too well) Alicent’s brother who has apparently spent all this time in Oldtown rather than at court. I’d say he showed up offscreen in the past but since he’s only first introduced to Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel) this episode, I suppose he’s just never been to King’s Landing before. He comes across as arrogant and spoiled, and even the Lord Commander is irritated with him—and I hate agreeing with the Dornishman about anything!

Ser Criston Cole

Speaking of Cole, he’s off with an army to the Riverlands and Harrenhal. He’s tired of all the talk, of all the hand-wringing. He wants action, and so he takes action. Ser Gwayne accompanies him and as they make their way west, Gwayne and his retainers leave the body of the army to find a nearby inn. Cole follows, annoyed at the young knight’s lackadaisical nonsense, and it’s at this point, in an open field, that he spots the dragon high above.

He urges his mount forward and tells the others to ride hard for the trees. Up in the sky, Baela (Bethany Antonia) is on her dragon, Moondancer. She spots the glint of armor and descends as the knights gallop for their lives. Later, we learn that she was close enough to identify Criston Cole, though the Hand and his men do make it into the cover of the forest before any harm can come to them, and Gwayne expresses his gratitude, earning the Lord Commander another loyalist.

The other new character we meet in this episode identifies himself as a Dragonseed—that is, a Targaryen or Valyrian (including House Velaryon) bastard fathered in the Blackwater Bay region. In this series and in Martin’s Fire and Blood, these include (and yes, this is spoilery but I think it will help to understand):

• Hugh Hammer (Kieran Bew) the blacksmith we’ve met earlier this season;
• Addam (Clinton Liberty) and his younger brother, Alyn of Hull (Abubakar Salim) both Velaryon bastards, though their parentage remains in doubt.
• Ulf White (Tom Bennett) the man we meet at the brothel tavern in this latest episode, though we spotted him by the ratcatcher gallows last week. He exposits some on his lineage, which is why I thought it worth expounding upon in this post.

There are others we haven’t met yet who I will leave off the list, but these will all be very important characters as the war unfolds thanks to their unique lineage even as bastards. We also hear, once again, about young Daeron and his dragon Tessarion. Alicent’s youngest has yet to show his cherubic face on House of the Dragon, but he’s on his way.

In that same tavern that very same night, two brothers come to visit. One is loudmouthed and obnoxious; the other is cool as a cucumber. Neither really ought to be there.

We learn earlier that Aegon has replaced the dead Kingsguard with his lackeys, showing all the wisdom and foresight of a lump of coal. None of these slouching ingrates appear to have much training or discipline, another annoyance for Criston Cole, who I’m almost starting to feel empathy toward (yuck). As they dress him for battle—he insists on following after Cole’s army against the wishes of the Small Council—they mention going out to the brothels with a squire who has yet to lose his virginity. “But you swore vows of chastity,” Aegon tells them, sternly. They laugh at first, but are quickly quiet as their king seems to be totally serious. (This is just after Larys convinces the king not to go to battle, after all, through some clever little lies that play right into Aegon’s lack of self-confidence).

Perhaps he was serious about those vows, but hours later we see him stumble into the brothel drunk as a skunk, laughing and shouting, like some scrawny young Robert Baratheon. Perhaps he’s more like Robert than he is Joffrey, but either way he’s hardly acting the part of king, or grieving father. He finds his brother, Aemond, laying on the lap of the older prostitute and mocks him mercilessly. Aemond ends up leaving, a look of grim determination on his face, but not before we see him completely nude. It’s not the only somewhat shocking bit of nudity we get in this scene, as there’s a bit of (dare I say unnecessary) felatio just before. It’s almost as though HBO is trying to balance the scales when it comes to male and female anatomy shown across Game Of Thrones and House Of The Dragon. It’s perhaps mildly ironic that this season of The Boys is showing so much full-frontal male nudity at the same exact time.

In any case, lots and lots of moving pieces and characters both great and small this episode. Nothing quite so violent and shocking as the Blood and Cheese incident, or the battle of the Cargyll twins, Erryk and Arryk, but still a terrific episode that continues to build, however slowly, toward all-out war. It appears next week’s episode is called A Dance Of Dragons which suggests that the war will kick off in earnest soon enough.

A Council of War

Scattered Thoughts:

• The exchange between Alicent and poor Helaena (Phia Saban) was very interesting, especially when the daughter tells her mother she forgives her. “What?” Alicent asks, taken aback. “I forgive you,” Helaena says again, clearly of the mind that it needs no explanation.
• We see Seasmoke, Laenor’s dragon, and wonder “Who will claim this majestic beast as their own?” Hint: We’ve already met the character, but only just this season.
• I already miss Rhys Ifans even if Otto Hightower is a right bastard. Other characters I miss: Graham McTavish’s Ser Harrold and King Viserys I, played so perfectly by Paddy Considine.
• Both Aegon’s Small Council and Rhaenyra’s annoy me. I suppose they’re meant to since they annoy both Aegon and Rhaenyra to no end. The gall of Rhaenyra’s lords trying to shuffle her off to “safety” so they can lead the war planning. Then again, I’m not sure Rhaenyra is really up to the task, either.
• I’ll add more scattered thoughts as they come to me.

Here’s my video breakdown of the episode :

What did you think of this episode and how are you enjoying the season so far?

Let me know your thoughts on Twitter , Instagram or Facebook . Also be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me here on this blog . Sign up for my newsletter for more reviews and commentary on entertainment and culture.

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Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8 Review: A Thrilling Finale Saves an Underwhelming Season

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The following contains spoilers for Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8, "The Hashira Unite," now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8, "The Hashira Unite" is the season finale fans have been waiting for. For some time now, the anime has been focusing on Tanjiro and his training under the Hashira -- but despite its name, the Hashira Training arc has not properly tested anyone so far. The meandering pace of the episodes has only raised viewers' impatience for a big payoff to end Season 4. Luckily, the Season 4 finale finally delivers.

The episode starts slow, but in no time builds up a storm that threatens to destroy everything Tanjiro holds dear. Dripping with tense drama and fierce action, Demon Slayer Season 4 Finale teases a massive counterattack against the villainous Muzan Kibutsuji, who's moving closer to his goal . It may not be the battle of a lifetime, but it's a high point in an otherwise disappointing season.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8 Is a Nerve-Wracking Finale

The hashira training arc ends with a bang.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8 "The Hashira Unite" Recap & Spoilers

Demon Slayer Season 4 Episode 8, "The Hashira Unite," brings the leaders of the two warring factions together for the first and last time,

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8 introduces Muzan with reverence -- illustrating the threat that lies before an ailing Kagaya Ubuyashiki. The finale does not enter into combat immediately; instead, it lets the audience soak in the tension. Director Haruo Sotozaki takes a slow-burn approach when the leaders of the two warring clans meet for the first time. The opening act centers on Muzan, Ubuyashiki and Lady Amane, and the exchanges between them. Their interactions feel enchanting, with Ubuyashiki's speeches sounding like a snake charmer’s song. Although the dialogues are lengthy, the exposition helps reveal the reason for the Ubuyashiki family's recurring curse , among other important details.

The story shifts into the next gear when the Hashira arrive, hurrying and clamoring to reach the mansion in time. Suddenly, the audience breaks out of the trance and recognizes the gravity of a mere mortal facing a demon out for revenge. The episode promptly takes an explosive turn that changes the course of Demon Slayer forever. The entirety of Season 4 toyed with the idea of a demonic ambush, while distracting everyone with teary-eyed backstories. Now that the enemy is at the gate, the season provides that massive uphill battle.

To say that the episode does it well would be an understatement, given the sacrifice Ubuyashiki and his family had to make to get Muzan and the Hashira where they are. The second half of Episode 8 changes the whole complexion of the story, giving it a burst of energy with its swashbuckling action. Once the claws come out and the swords are unsheathed, the fight becomes increasingly gruesome and entertaining to watch. Plenty of twists and turns make up for the slowness from earlier in the season.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8 Has Strong Performances

The voice cast makes their characters shine throughout.

The Most Powerful Demon Slayer Characters (As of Season 4)

Demon Slayer's power hierarchy is always changing, but Season 4 has shaken things up more than ever.

Muzan and Ubuyashiki's tense conversation is essentially a standoff between the cruel and cunning Muzan, the Demon King , and the calm yet calculated presence of Ubuyashiki. On a power scale, Kagaya is no match for a demon -- and the Demon Slayer Season 4 finale portrays this imbalance visually as well. He struggles and stays on the floor while Muzan stands over him. This feels like a predator taking measure of its prey, waiting to draw first blood... and leaving the audience holding their breath in anticipation. The episode does an amazing job of illustrating the enmity between the two nemeses, who have never met and yet know everything about each other.

Actor Toshihiko Seki is menacing as Muzan Kibutsuji throughout Episode 8. As his character mostly emotes through his eyes, Seki has to bring out Muzan's diabolical nature through the tone of his voice. It is smooth with a hint of authority that matches well with Muzan's personality. But as Muzan's patience grows thin, Seki shifts to a more rugged tone, showing why Muzan is such a terrifying character. Similarly, his co-star Toshiyuki Morikawa perfectly captures Kagaya's mellow personality. One can even hear Ubuyashiki's smile in Morikawa's slow drawl. Yet once the mansion becomes a battleground, none of the characters have any room to breathe.

In true Tanjiro fashion, the anime's protagonist leaps into battle with a war cry, shouting the name of his breathing technique. The other Hashira have similar entrances. These thrilling moments embody the sense of duty the Demon Slayer Corps possess, giving the finale a touch of emotion as the season concludes. But none of the actions of the heroes matter in the end -- because the finale includes a plot twist that tilts the action back in Muzan's favor.

Demon Slayer Season 4 Finale Goes All Out With Its Animation

Episode 8's visuals are finale-worthy.

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The animation is easily the standout aspect of Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8. The aesthetics play a big part in luring the audience into the story. Despite the shadow of death looming closer to the Ubuyashiki mansion, the viewer notices the beauty of the zen garden, with its gravel and trees shining under the light of a full moon. It is almost as if the background artists didn't get the memo that there is murder and mayhem ahead. But when it happens, even the mechanics behind burning wood as it splinters and breaks are astounding -- these visuals are stunning.

They also enhance the characters. Muzan's introduction is one of the most chilling entries by an antagonist in the anime. The slow-motion shots and wisps of mist that follow him add to the mysterious nature of the unwanted guest, with his flowing gown seeming like a homage to Dracula. When the action heats up, Lady Tamayo and the Stone Hashira, Gyomei Himejima, go all out to stop Muzan. Backing them up are smooth transitions and 360-degree spinning shots that make the scenes look spectacularly dynamic.

The end result is that the Demon Slayer finale is hauntingly beautiful. But despite the eye-popping action and awe-inspiring animation , the finale cops out story-wise -- ending the season in a stalemate. That fact might disappoint some viewers who were expecting a more definitive end. Yet it doesn't entirely take away from the shock and awe of this individual episode, which definitely leaves the audience wanting more.

Demon Slayer Season 4 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.

Demon Slayer Season 4, Episode 8

When Tanjiro Kamado returns home to find his family was attacked and killed by demons, he discovers his younger sister Nezuko was the only survivor. As Nezuko slowly becomes a demon, Tanjiro sets out to find a cure for her and become a demon slayer so he can avenge his family.

• A suspenseful start makes up for the exposition-heavy monologues.
• Muzan and Ubuyashiki's tense exchanges are nothing short of cinematic storytelling.
• The animation makes the action stand out.
• The finale ends on a cliffhanger that raises intrigue regarding the next phase of the story.
• Even with all the commotion, Demon Slayer Season 4 Finale fails to make much progress with the plot.

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Despicable Me 4

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, an... Read all Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run. Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, and Agnes welcome a new member to the family, Gru Jr., who is intent on tormenting his dad. Gru faces a new nemesis in Maxime Le Mal and his girlfriend Valentina, and the family is forced to go on the run.

• Chris Renaud
• Patrick Delage
• Steve Carell
• Kristen Wiig
• Pierre Coffin
• 68 User reviews
• 74 Critic reviews
• 50 Metascore

• Poppy Prescott

• Principal Übelschlecht

• (as Madison Polan)

• Perry Prescott

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• (as Catherine Cavadini)
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• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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• Trivia Much like in Despicable Me 3 (2017) , Agnes is recast once again due to age requirements.
• Goofs In the 3rd movie, Silas Ramsbottom retired from the AVL, and was replaced by Valerie Da Vinci. But in this movie, he came out of retirement to stop Maxime Le Mal. Because of this, it's unknown what happened to Valerie.
• Connections Featured in The Project: Episode dated 17 June 2024 (2024)
• Soundtracks Everybody Wants to Rule the World Written by Roland Orzabal , Ian Stanley , and Chris Hughes Performed by Steve Carell , Joey King , Will Ferrell , Kristen Wiig

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• Jun 25, 2024
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• July 3, 2024 (United States)
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• Kẻ Trộm Mặt Trăng 4
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• $122,600,325
• $75,000,000
• Jul 7, 2024
• $229,539,325

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• Runtime 1 hour 35 minutes
• Dolby Surround 7.1
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