Last Resort is a 2023 film from Wicked Pictures, written and directed by Stormy Daniels (yes, that one).
The story goes that Ryan (Will Pounder) catches his fiancée Tiffany (Haley Spades) cheating on him the night before their wedding, with a guy (Oliver Davis) dressed as an alien, something we will be constantly reminded about.
At Ryan's bachelor party, his friends hire three strippers. Ryan is surprised to see that one of them (Jewelz Blu) is his old schoolmate Jenna, whom he'd had a crush on. They get talking, and Ryan explains that he wants to call off his wedding to Tiffany, which was arranged by his parents who are seeking investment from Tiffany's parents for the family business's construction project. Jenna helps Ryan realise he doesn't actually love Tiffany.
Ryan is caught between trying not to upset his parents by going through with his wedding to Tiffany, or following his heart and start dating Jenna instead.
The story is… okay. I wouldn't say it's particularly original (there are certainly some Romeo and Juliet vibes), but it is at least somewhat interesting. I was a little bit puzzled, though, by why Ryan's friend (Seth Gamble) suddenly starts fucking the strippers (Pristine Edge and Kate Dalia). I mean, they're strippers, not escorts. I was amused when the friend has a go at one of the strippers when she starts sucking his cock rather than continuing to stroke it after he cums. The strippers are seemingly giving him free bonus services, yet he complains?!
Although the story is decent, the writing leaves much to be desired (sorry, Stormy!). There's a scene where Jenna invites Ryan to "crash here for the night". There had been no indication that the two had gone to Jenna's home, which made me so confused as I thought they were at Ryan's home. Also, Ryan's friends are so incredibly obnoxious. Perhaps this was intentional, but it makes the film unpleasant to watch when they're on screen. The film tries to be funny, however we are not amused. All that said, Ryan does get the line, "I like a girl that can eat.", which may be the most relatable line I've heard in a porn film.
There are more problems. Scene transitions can be very jarring, as if there are missing shots. There are numerous continuity problems, too. Usually I can look past these, but in this film they're so noticeable they really detract from the experience. The sound mix is also problematic. In some scenes, the music is so loud it makes the dialogue unintelligible.
The acting is a mixed bag. Despite having the lead role, Will Pounder has some of the worst acting in the film. It's like he only has a couple of expressions: normal and constipated. Tommy Pistol and Evan Stone (who play Jenna's father and Ryan's father respectively) are veterans and put on a good show, even if their roles are somewhat comic relief. The standout star of the film, however, is Jewelz Blu. Her acting is quite subtle yet convincing. Even just small variations in her tone of voice convey a lot.
Alas, Jewelz's performance can't save this troubled film. It's a shame because it really had potential, but there are just too many problems for me to properly enjoy it.
★★☆☆☆ 2/5