The Last One for the Road

Francesco Sossai’s (Other Cannibals) sophomore feature, The Last One for the Road, first premiered in the Un Certain Regard section of 2025’s Cannes, and after its cross-continental festival run, now opens in select cinemas in the UK.

In this Italian comedy, Carlobianchi (Sergio Romano) and Doriano (Pierpaolo Capovilla) spend their night meandering from one place to the next, reminiscing and contemplating life as only philosophers and drinkers seem to be able to. In Venice, they cross paths with a group of students and tag along. An aspiring architect (The Hand of God’s Filippo Scotti) catches their attention as someone who hasn’t quite mastered the levity of his peers. Noting that if he left the party, he would go home sad (and likely look back at the evening with regret), the two carousers take him under their wing on their endless quest for a final drink.

The Last One for the Road is a contemplative road movie, as seemingly aimless as its protagonists; it clings to the fading rituals of companionship and unforeseen adventures only available to those who open themselves to possibility. The mood piece not only subverts the old proverb about life giving you lemons, but also conventional cinematic depictions of Italy. The film takes place on empty provincial roads, in rundown bars suspended between day and night and grey-market backrooms: pushing back against the postcard-ready version of national identity.

This dedication to realism and texture extends to the cast, who feel like lived-in presences rather than performers. Because of their natural and unforced interactions, the viewer is drawn to the flow of their journey, happy to discover alongside these characters where the night might take them.

In its steadfast refusal to accept endings and the polite fiction of postponement, The Last One for the Road stands as a powerful defence of declining spontaneous human interaction. Its unhurried rhythm produces a downright meditative experience that lingers on the sweetness of life, rather than the bitter.