Jun 26, 2023

In Devon Manny's Last Nite At Sam's, American capitalism, gentrification, and white fragility play out in a bloody bar brawl.

Devon Manny's Last Nite at Sam's is now available online.

Manny describes the film as: [a] kaleidoscopic allegory about American capitalism, gentrification, and white (in this case primarily male) fragility, an attempt to subvert the traditional Western comic aesthetic often used to dilute the true cost of violence.

BEFORE WATCHING: This film contains flashing lights that may cause problems for photo-sensitive viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

"Last Night at Sam's" has the feel of a classic comic strip, with scribbled character drawings and a monotone palette. The film opens at a folksy bar called Sam's, where patrons chat, drink, and watch football games.

Eventually, an argument breaks out over who is in charge of the remote control, and what starts out as a small argument, exacerbated by drugs and alcohol, turns into a violent and ultimately deadly brawl. The guests turn on each other and violence becomes inevitable. The police appear outside, and the crimson colors of the film turn to flashing red and blue lights.

The discomfort caused by the flashing lights and blaring sirens, coupled with the relentless bloody violence of the fight and a broken record player repeating the same seconds of sound, make for an unnerving viewing experience. The film's stunning sound mix was created by Christina Gonzalez of The Paper Mountain Post.

The repeated musical beat is actually part of a charming jazz tune called "One Last Night (You & Me)," which sounds like it could be from a John Huston film. However, the song is actually a new number composed by John Hugo Unger and performed by vocalist Natalie Shaw, with lyrics by Manny himself.