Podcasts are everywhere. In fact it's never been easier for a person to start their own podcast, all that's required is a microphone, subject matter, and a willingness to record. That said, there's a lot of competition, and how does a podcaster stand out from the pack? Well, what if that person had a ghost for a co-host? Surely nothing could go wrong? Naturally, it's not that simple in The Last Podcast.
The Last Podcast tells the story of Charlie (Eric Tabach), the host of Paranormalcy, a podcast devoted to debunking the supernatural and providing scepticism to the spiritual. However, Charlie is not the runaway success he hoped he might have been, and when Professor Duncan Slayback (Gabriel Rush) invites him to view proof of what comes after death, Charlie is intrigued. The professor proceeds to shoot himself and then haunts Charlie. Ever the entrepreneur, Charlie turns to the situation to his advantage but things get complicated when it transpires that Slayback, even in death has an agenda of his own.
To some degree, The Last Podcast is a tremendous piece of satire directed at the narcissistic and often-deluded world of podcast hosts. The patter, the sponsorship adverts, the gimmicks – it's there and used for effect. While the film is not an out-and-out comedy, it certainly doesn't play the whole thing with a straight face. There are elements of a buddy cop relationship between Masters and Charlie, there's something reminiscent of Ghost or the countless other apparition-based comedy movies of the 1980s. That's also not to undercut the horror credentials of The Last Podcast, it has plenty of dramatic twists, a healthy dose of murder and plenty of supernatural elements to keep things interesting. It never veers into the realm of predictable or dull.
One of the big strengths of The Last Podcast is Eric Tabach as Charlie. He encompasses the obnoxious stereotype of the podcast host, as well as the dismissive nature of the sceptic. However, Tabach manages to ground the role in a likeability that makes the audience root for him even if it is inevitable that things will go sideways sooner rather than later. Slayback's role is a little limited in dialogue given the ghost is unable to talk, but Gabriel Rush does some excellent facial expressions and a lot of physical acting that brings his ghostly character to life, pun intended. Charlie Saxton, who may be the most well-known actor appearing in The Last Podcast, is also excellent as the competition to Charlie's growing podcast empire.
The Last Podcast is a surprisingly original, funny, dark and intriguing film. The script is very well written, it's a film that knows where it wants to go and wastes minimal time getting there. It makes really solid use of some big moments without ever having to resort to anything too wild and “spooky”, which would have been an easy but very lazy path to take. It may not be a gorefest or an adrenaline thrill ride, but The Last Podcast certainly ticks a lot of the boxes for a breakout hit.
The Last Podcast had its world premiere at FrightFest 2024 on Friday, August 23.
