The Last Podcast (2024) Review

Charlie Bailey (Eric Tabach) is the host of a podcast called ParaNormalcy, in which he aims to debunk various supernatural occurrences in his own sarcastic way. When he’s contacted by junior professor Duncan Slayback (Gabriel Rush), who claims to have scientific proof that ghosts do not exist, Charlie jumps at the chance to put together a landmark episode and gain some much needed clicks. However, Duncan’s experiment proves to be far more drastic than Charlie expected, leaving Duncan dead and Charlie with his life changed forever. But with change comes opportunity, and with that opportunity comes the potential for growth – in both the personal and the online follower sense.

Writer/director Dean Alioto cites An American Werewolf In London as the basis for the buddy back and forth which underpins this smart blend of humour and horror and, yes, the one’s alive/one’s dead template will spark memories of Naughton and Dunne for genre fans. In this case, Charlie and Duncan have their own set of communication issues. Whereas John Landis’ Jack wouldn’t shut up, Duncan is unable to speak but has a nifty skill in that he can write through the hands of the person he’s haunting. This proves a boon in hooking greater numbers of subscribers and attracting financial backers as Charlie’s podcast transforms in style and content but also sends the former sceptic on a reluctant revenge mission to track down the guy who killed Duncan’s fiancée in a hit and run.

It’s easy to make a movie about a cyberspace personality so unrelentingly repellent that the viewer can’t wait for him to get his comeuppance. It’s good to see that The Last Podcast doesn’t take the obvious route. It’s clear that Charlie is a bit of an idiot who hasn’t fully embraced the responsibilities of adulthood – as long-suffering girlfriend Bree (Kaikane) makes clear to him – but he isn’t immediately irredeemable. He’s trying to be a better person but the lure of monetisation and internet fame is strong and it’s this conflict which gives the characterisation a depth not often seen in comedy horror while still delivering on the laughs.

Tabach is excellent, frustrating the audience as his flaws come to the fore, including a streak of faux humorous, barely concealed venom directed at fellow podcaster Jasper Cooper’s rival show The Para-Abnormal Files (Charlie even hates the incongruity of the title) and an innate ability to throw metaphorical spanners into his burgeoning relationship with Bree at the most inopportune moments. He’s someone who we want to like but his behaviour doesn’t help matters.

Rush is a weird delight as Duncan, an odd fish in life who hasn’t developed any further traits of normality in death. With his doleful expression, increasingly deteriorating look and silent interplay with Charlie, he’s comical and low-key unnerving at the same time. His initial penchant for appearing in the shower gave me a genuine start, followed by a chuckle, which sums up The Last Podcast’s modus operandi perfectly. There’s dark territory to be covered but there’s no reason why it doesn’t have to be fun as well.

As the situation threatens to spiral out of control, Charlie finds himself linked to a murder investigation, Jasper announces he has his own podcast ghost co-host (try saying that when you’ve imbibed a few spirits). At this point, less skilful writers and directors would opt for screaming chaos and flub the final act. Not so here as Alioto amps up the controlled comic chaos with a tense bro dinner date, throws in twists which leave the audience reconsidering much of what they’ve seen before its satisfying resolution and surprisingly emotional final few seconds.

Except it’s not quite over. Stay through the credits for a highly amusing glimpse into what may very well be about to happen next. The battle for subscriber numbers never ceases and, as the previous hour and a half has shown, death is no barrier to popularity.

The Last Podcast is hugely enjoyable, taking what could be a morbid premise and generating plentiful laughs while never letting go of its horror roots, leading to set pieces which walk the line between gross and gigglesome. The focus on fleshing out its characters pays off handsomely and if this is the last podcast for all concerned, it’s a hell of a way to go out.

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