‘The Last Showgirl’ Review: The Pamela Anderson Comeback We Didn’t Know We Needed 

Gia Coppola’s new film, The Last Showgirl, is a stunning portrayal of a woman grappling with the fact that the career path she sacrificed so much for might not even be worth it. The film follows Shelly, a showgirl who has been headlining a show in Vegas for the last thirty years. It is announced that the show is coming to a close, leaving Shelly lost and trying to figure out what the next part of her life will be. The Last Showgirl is a tale of female friendships, resilience, and the debilitating aspects of being devoted to one’s art. Read our The Last Showgirl review below. 

I want to start things by discussing Pamela Anderson’s extraordinary performance. Shelly feels like the perfect comeback role for Anderson. The character is naive yet unapologetic, and Anderson brings a deep sense of understanding to the role. The performance is riddled with layer upon layer of nuance, making it one of the more interesting performances in recent years for me. For most, the character’s main intrigue is the similarities between Anderson and Shelly, but I argue the character becomes her own separate entity thanks to the talent of Anderson. From The Last Showgirl, one can only get excited to see what is to come for Pamela Anderson after this.

Pamela Anderson is not the only standout, though. To me, the main draw of the film are all of the strong female performances including Jamie Lee Curtis, Brenda Song, Kiernan Shipka, and Billie Lourd. I would say that out of the supporting cast, Jamie Lee Curtis definitely stands out. Curtis plays Annette, a washed-up cocktail waitress who is best friends with Shelly. The character is deeply sad unlike Shelly, and does not romanticize what she does. Annette is bitter, abrasive, and an example of what happens to women after they reach an age deemed too old for showbiz. Even with all the innate sadness of her character, Curtis brings a refreshing charm that breathes a lot of life into the film. 

In my theater, there was not a dry eye. The film is an emotional gut punch, all thanks to how lived-in and authentic the performances feel. I, personally, have not cried at a movie like that in a very long time. I found it very powerful how Shelly gave up so much of what she loved for her art. She loves the glitz and glamor and the rush of getting on stage every night However, to do what she loved, she sacrificed valuable time with her daughter and other loved ones. There are many times in the film where Anderson goes on about how she was told to give up the show, but did not because nothing fulfilled her as much. This commitment to her art is such a beautiful and refreshing point of view for a film to take since, most of the time, we get the perspective of a mother who gave everything up and lived to regret it. 

The most poignant moment in the entire film is the last show at the very end. During the entire film, it was building up to this one point, and to say the least, it did not disappoint. This is the first time we get to see Shelly on the stage, only getting backstage scenes before. The song playing during Shelly’s final performance is “Beautiful That Way” sung by Miley Cyrus, which fits perfectly. This moment is beautifully devastating, getting to watch Shelly do what she loves for the very last time. The look on Anderson’s face during that final shot will stick with me for a very long time. 

Overall, I highly recommend going to see The Last Showgirl in theaters, if you can. Not only is it a stunning-looking film, but as I mentioned before, you do not want to miss seeing Anderson’s breakthrough performance on the big screen. 

The Last Showgirl is getting a lot of award buzz for the lead performance by Pamela Anderson, having already received a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nomination. You can go see The Last Showgirl in theaters on January 10th. 

Thanks for reading our The Last Showgirl review. For more articles, stay tuned here at Feature First.