Ah, The Last Stop in Yuma County, where sun fries your brain, the pie’s so rhubarby it’ll make your grandma cry, and the plot’s a bigger mess than a tumbleweed in a hurricane. Francis Galluppi, in his debut behind the camera, has whipped up a film that’s a love child of a thriller and a dark comedy, marinated in the scorching Arizona desert. Think Tarantino and the Coen Brothers had a baby, and that baby grew up on a diet of ’70s neo-noir and enough sarcasm to make your high school English teacher retire early.

Galluppi’s debut isn’t just a film; it’s a middle finger to mediocrity. This guy clearly spent his youth binge-watching the masters. You can see Tarantino and the Coens‘ fingerprints all over this, but Galluppi doesn’t just copy; he goes full mad scientist. His style is sharp, his pacing is tighter than a virgin in church, and his humor is darker than your ex’s soul. If he wanted to make a loud entrance, he didn’t just knock – he blew the damn door off. Here’s hoping he doesn’t need to sell his kidney for his next project. Oh, and did you hear? He’s been chosen to direct the next Evil Dead. Yeah, no pressure.

Let’s chat about our main dude, Jim Cummings (The Wolf of Snow Hollow, The Beta Test, Halloween Kills), the Knife Salesman. Cummings is like a freaking shape-shifter, slipping into his role so well it’s creepy. His character is a mash-up of Norman Bates’ creepy charm and your weird uncle’s hunting knife collection. Jocelin Donahue (House of the Devil, Insidious: Chapter 2, Doctor Sleep) as Charlotte, the diner waitress, brings a touch of sweetness that’s like a spoonful of sugar in this shitstorm. Then there’s Richard Brake (Mandy, 3 from Hell, Barbarian) as Beau, who’s so menacing he probably scares his own reflection. Faizon Love as Vernon, the gas station attendant, adds a layer of grounded humor to the madness.

The story kicks off with our knife peddler (Cummings) rolling into a gas station in the middle of bumfuck nowhere, only to find out there’s no gas. Vernon, the attendant (Love), tells him to chill in the adjoining diner. There, he meets Charlotte (Donahue), and soon, the place starts filling up with a rogue’s gallery of characters, including two bank robbers, Beau (Brake) and Travis (Nicholas Logan). What follows is a tense, darkly humorous standoff where each new arrival cranks up the crazy and the potential for bloodshed.

The production design is a damn treat. The film is set in a sun-bleached, rundown diner and gas station that looks like it was plucked straight from a 1970s postcard. The vintage cars, the old-school diner, the music (oh, the music!) – they all add layers of authenticity. Galluppi’s decision to use Roy Orbison’s “Crying” in a slow-motion shootout scene is fucking genius. It’s the kind of ballsy move that makes you want to stand up and slow clap, even if you’re alone in your living room.

Galluppi doesn’t shy away from big themes. The Last Stop in Yuma County is a bleak, often hilarious look at American gun culture, the randomness of violence, and the thin veneer of civility that barely covers our most primal urges. There are no heroes here, just a bunch of deeply flawed humans trying to survive in a world where everyone’s packing heat. It’s a dark joke with a punchline delivered with a smirk and a loaded gun.

The diner itself is a metaphor for America—a boiling pot of desperation, hope, and violence simmering just below the surface. Each character represents a different slice of society, from lawmen to outlaws, from innocents to the morally ambiguous. The desert setting, with its relentless heat and isolation, amplifies the impending sense of doom. Galluppi uses the confined space of the diner to create a pressure cooker of tension that’s both thrilling and hilarious.

Sure, the film leans a bit too much on its influences, sometimes feeling more like an homage than something truly original. But honestly, when the influences are this damn good, who cares? The film is an impressive debut.

The Last Stop in Yuma County is a film that wears its influences on its sleeve, but does so with such style and confidence that you can’t help but be impressed. It’s a funny, thrilling ride through a dusty corner of America that feels both nostalgic and refreshingly new. Francis Galluppi has announced himself as a director to watch, and if this film is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride. So, grab a slice of rhubarb pie, sit back, and enjoy the chaos. Just don’t forget to check your gas gauge before you hit the road.

Director: Francis Galluppi
Writer: Francis Galluppi
Released May 10, 2024