One Last Deal

Danny Dyer stars as foul-mouthed football agent Jimmy Banks in director Brendan Muldowney’s One Last Deal. A fast-talking cockney with a dodgy past and even shadier connections, Jimmy is on the verge of signing a major contract for his client. However, the entire deal hinges upon whether they are found guilty of sexual assault charges, with the verdict set to be delivered later that day. Just as everything looks to be going Jimmy’s way, he receives a call from a blackmailer who threatens to expose damning evidence unless they receive a massive payment. While Dyer gives an electrifying performance in what is essentially a one-man show, the script struggles to maintain the drama as the pressure escalates.

Set entirely within the confines of Jimmy’s swanky London office, the feature aims to generate the sort of claustrophobic, slow-burn thrills of the likes of Locke and Buried. Dyer is the only character to appear on screen, while everyone else is a voice at the other end of his phone that never stops ringing. He’s perfectly cast in the role. Not only does he ooze with charisma, switching from charming to menacing in an instant, but he also effectively conveys the character’s gradual downward spiral. By the time the film enters its final act, Jimmy is a broken version of the man who first walked into that office.

In addition to figuring out how to handle the blackmailer, Jimmy also has his hands full trying to shmooze his way into setting up another lucrative deal while worrying that his ex-wife has discovered his secret funds. Though these plot points serve a purpose and eventually converge in interesting ways, none are particularly engaging on their own. As entertaining as it is to watch Dyer creatively swear at colleagues, the back-and-forth conference calls don’t hold much dramatic weight and mainly serve to fill in the gaps between main story beats. Despite Dyer’s best efforts to sell the urgency of Jimmy’s situation, heavy-handed reveals and a predictable plot twist cause the feature to lose its momentum towards the finale.

Dyer delights in a role that was tailor-made for him. Although he brings plenty of infectious energy to the table, it’s not quite enough to make up for the script’s failure to maintain its thrills through to the end.