Watch Last Resort

Last Resort is a compelling drama film that tells the story of a young mother and her son who flee to a dilapidated seaside resort in England seeking asylum from Russia. The movie, directed by Polish filmmaker Paweł Pawlikowski and released in 2000 at the Venice Film Festival, stars Dina Korzun, Artyom Strelnikov, and Paddy Considine in the lead roles.

The movie follows the journey of Tanya (Dina Korzun), a young Russian woman who travels to the UK with her son Artiom (Artyom Strelnikov) to escape the oppressive regime in her homeland. Tanya's abusive partner, a Russian gangster, has threatened her with violence and arrest, forcing her to make the drastic decision to flee her country and seek political asylum in the UK.

The film begins with them arriving at an old, rundown resort on the coast of England, where they are placed with other asylum seekers in a stark and depressing abandoned hotel. The resort's inhabitants have fled their countries due to war, political persecution, or economic hardship. Tanya's initial optimism about her situation quickly dissipates as she realizes she is trapped in a destitute and decaying environment.

In this bleak world, Tanya meets Alfie (Paddy Considine), a local arcade worker who takes an interest in her and Artiom. Alfie becomes Tanya's only ally and confidante as she navigates the complex web of asylum laws and struggles to survive within the confines of the resort. Alfie introduces Tanya to his friends and shows her the sights in the local area, including an abandoned amusement park and the nearby beach.

As Tanya and Alfie's relationship deepens, their worlds collide, highlighting the stark contrast between Tanya's position as a desperate, vulnerable asylum seeker and Alfie's relative comfort as a citizen of the UK. Tanya grapples with the harsh reality of displacement and is forced to confront the fear and loneliness that permeates through her life. Meanwhile, Alfie becomes increasingly involved in Tanya's life and the lives of the other asylum seekers, exposing him to the harsher realities of their daily struggles.

As the film progresses, tensions rise as the asylum seekers become increasingly desperate for a way out of the resort. Frustration and hopelessness give way to violence, as the characters clash over resources, ideology, and despair. Tanya's life becomes increasingly complicated as she fights for her own survival and that of her vulnerable son, all while trying to navigate the tangled and often cruel bureaucracy of the UK asylum system.

Last Resort paints a harrowing portrait of displacement, fear, and the struggle for survival that is all too real for many people in the world today. The film is a poignant meditation on the nature of humanity and the lengths we will go to protect ourselves and those we love. The outstanding performances by the cast, in particular by Dina Korzun and Paddy Considine, make this film a masterful exploration of the human experience in the face of hardship and adversity.

Last Resort is a 2001 drama. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.2 and a MetaScore of 80.