There’s been a lot of buzz around The Last Showgirl ever since it premiered at TIFF in September 2024. A big part of that was due to the comeback performance of Pamela Anderson, who has since gone on to be nominated for a Golden Globe for her role in this movie. The film is a snapshot portrait of life in Las Vegas for these entertainers and what the city does to them once it’s finished taking from them. But does the film deserve the hype and your time? Let’s find out.

Directed by Gia Coppola and written by Kate Gersten, The Last Showgirl is a snapshot of what showbiz is like in Las Vegas, specifically when it’s time for curtain call on those who’ve made careers on stage in Sin City. It stars Pamela Anderson as Shelley, a showgirl who spent some thirty years in the industry as a performer in Le Razzle Dazzle, a more old-school show that feels antiquated by Vegas’ standards. The show made its debut back in the 80s, and Shelley is one of the original cast members; as such, she’s something of a mother figure to the rest of the much younger cast. Then, one day, word comes in that the new casino owners have decided to cancel the show and move on to new ventures, leading Shelley to a bit of an impasse as to what to do next with her life, considering this is the only life she’s known and loved.

In Vegas’ cruel standards for show business, she’s a relic from another time and unfit and uninteresting for the current standards of entertainment audiences want. She is critical of these newer shows, lambasting them as lewd and classless, while also being completely oblivious to the commentary that her own show was just the older version of the same ilk. To Shelley, Le Razzle Dazzle was the last remnants of Parisian classy shows, glamorous with elegant costumes and sets. It makes her happy, but it also may have cost her the relationship with her estranged daughter, who is critical of her mother’s career. Likewise, Shelley has no real financial future, as she has no investments, 501k, etc, to fall back on now that the show is coming to an end.

Showbiz seems to be an industry that takes a lot without giving much back, and Shelley, at 57 (like Pamela Anderson for real), is left with what she has to show for it. But she’s also unapologetic about her career. She genuinely loved what she did, and thought it was classy, glamorous, and chiefly, it made her happy to be a showgirl. The Last Showgirl, despite some melodrama, is a “take me as I am” style narrative, which is where the film is both frustrating and interesting. The filmmakers seem both critical of Vegas and the type of work showgirls have to go through while also seemingly encouraging a “do what makes you happy” message despite the consequences of that mentality. By the end of the movie, I couldn’t quite decide if the movie’s message was a cautionary tale of the showbiz life in Vegas or one that was all about following your dreams as long as they make you happy, consequences be damned.

The cast is pretty solid, but I found the performances a bit mixed. Pamela Anderson offers an uneven turn as Shelley, offering both great moments of personal tragedy, but her girly indifference sometimes makes it hard to empathize or relate to her considering the challenges that lie ahead. This is more of an issue in the first half of the film, but I did find her performance improved as the film went on and more challenges presented themselves, giving Anderson more to act out. A standout was her breakdown after being rejected at an audition.

Dave Bautista on the other hand, feels miscast as the technician behind the stage, quietly muttering his way through his lines. It made him feel more awkward and stiff and I was hoping at some point he was going to come out of his shell a bit and deliver some knowledge. But it never happened. On the flip side, Jamie Lee Curtis steals the show as Annette, a washed-up cocktail waitress and Shelley’s best friend. She’s got this trashy energy that seems upbeat on the surface but is really just covering up the sadness and failures she’s carrying with her. Rounding out the cast is Billie Lourd as Hannah, Shelley’s estranged daughter who feels like her mother put her trashy work and career before her.

The Last Showgirl isn’t a perfect movie, but it’s an interesting snapshot into the lives of the people who are often forgotten in Las Vegas. It’s up to you to decide if this is a cautionary tale, or one that’s about following your dreams.