The Reel Review
A waitress working the night shift all alone at an isolated, rural diner takes matters into her own hands when she is terrorized by masked assailants. Jessica Belkin, Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under) and Taylor Kowalski star in this 2023 horror/thriller.

For a low budget slasher film, Last Straw manages to be a pretty taut and twist-filled thriller that both leans into slasher film cliches while also turning some of them on their heads. One prime example: a pretty unlikable main character/final girl, at least in the first half of the film. Alan Scott Neal, best known as a casting associate for Euphoria and Uncut Gems, makes his directorial feature film debut one that really counts, told first through the main character’s perspective, then from one of the killers. It is also chocked full of moments that later make more sense.

Jessica Belkin gives a pretty convincing performance as the not-so-damsel in distress. There is plenty of authentic, pulse-pounding action. The finale is a bit far-fetched but for a low budget indie, Last Straw is entertaining and pretty well done.
REEL FACTS
• Jessica Belkin also appeared as vampire girl in American Horror Story: Hotel.
• Taylor Kowalski’s acting credits include 2024’s MaXXXine and the TV series Snowfall.
• Last Straw was filmed at diners in Catskill and Germantown, New York.