Too Late is a 2015 American crime drama film written and directed by Dennis Hauck. The film was filmed using 35 mm Techniscope technology, with five long scenes. Each scene was shot as one continuous 20-minute shot without any cuts. In the story, a private investigator (played by John Hawkes) searches the streets of Los Angeles to find a woman from his past. He later becomes involved in a scandal connected to strip clubs, small-time drug dealers, and missing girls.
The film first showed at the LA Film Festival on June 11, 2015. It opened in theaters in Los Angeles on March 18, 2016, and in New York City on April 1. Later, it expanded to Alamo Drafthouse cinemas across the country.
Plot
A young girl named Dorothy Mahler is walking on a nature trail near downtown Los Angeles when two men, Jesse and Matthew, appear by chance. She uses one of their phones to call Mel Samson, a private investigator she met earlier, and tells him that some people in the city are angry with her and need his help. While waiting for Samson, Dorothy takes a drug called ecstasy given to her by Jesse and Matthew, who leave but promise to return later. Dorothy then speaks with Skippy Fontaine, a park ranger who seems friendly. As they talk, they notice a dead body nearby. Suddenly, Skippy attacks Dorothy and holds her neck tightly until she can't breathe. When Jesse and Matthew return, they find Dorothy's body and believe she died from the drugs they gave her. They run away in fear. Samson arrives too late and finds Dorothy dead.
In the second part, Samson visits the home of Gordy, an owner of a strip club, and tells him he had a car accident and needs to use their phone. He speaks with Gordy's much younger wife, Janet, and has a drink. Later, Samson meets Gordy and Skippy's father, Roger Fontaine, and reveals that Dorothy had photos of Gordy receiving oral sex from another stripper. Gordy had arranged Dorothy's murder to keep Janet from discovering this. Janet becomes angry and takes a gun. After an argument with Samson, she shoots Gordy and Roger, then turns the gun on herself despite Samson's protests. Samson tells himself he needs to improve his life.
The third part shows events that happened earlier. Samson is in a strip club and is offered a lap dance by a performer named Jill, but he declines. He meets Dorothy and asks her to get a drink with him, but she leaves without him noticing. Samson goes to another club where a friend's band is playing. He finds Dorothy waiting for him and she joins him in a photo booth. He plays guitar and performs a song.
The fourth part shows events that happened last. Jill is working at a drive-in movie theater when Samson, who has a non-deadly injury in his chest, approaches her. They talk about their past romantic relationship, which ended earlier. Samson says he came to confront Fontaine, a patron of the theater. He gets into Fontaine's car and points a gun at him, but Fontaine stabs Samson in the stomach with a broken bottle and escapes. Jill joins Samson in the car and holds him as he dies. Before dying, Samson shows her a tattoo on his body called "Jilly Bean," which he got in her honor.
In the final part, Samson visits Dorothy's grandmother and mother to take on her case, but he refuses to be paid, showing his loyalty to Dorothy. He privately tells Dorothy's mother, Mary, that they had a past relationship many years ago and reveals that he is Dorothy's father, who had watched her grow up from a distance. As he walks to his car, Jesse and Matthew attack him and shoot him in the chest, believing Dorothy died from the drugs they gave her and not wanting to be involved in Samson's investigation. They run away, and Samson gets into his car with painful but survivable injuries. Encouraged by looking at photos he and Dorothy took in the photo booth the night they met, he starts his car and drives off.
Cast
- Crystal Reed as Dorothy Mahler
- John Hawkes as Samson
- Vail Bloom as Janet Lyons
- Jeff Fahey as Roger
- Natalie Zea as Mary Mahler
- Joanna Cassidy as Eleanor Mahler
- Robert Forster as Gordy Lyons
- Brett Jacobsen as Fontaine
- Dichen Lachman as Jilly Bean
- Dash Mihok as Jesse
- Sydney Tamiia Poitier as Veronica
- Rider Strong as Matthew
- David Yow as Arthur
Reception
On the review website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 71%, based on 34 reviews, with an average score of 5.7 out of 10. The site’s critics agree that the film shows love for its genre influences but relies too heavily on them. Metacritic, which calculates scores using a special method, gave the film a score of 54 out of 100, based on 14 critics, and described the reviews as "mixed or average."
Ken Jaworowski of The New York Times praised the film, noting that the director, Mr. Hauck, shows love for the genre in every scene. However, some parts of the film feel forced or overly dramatic. He wrote that the film’s goal is to create a modern noir, and it stays true to that goal.
Gary Goldstein of The Los Angeles Times wrote that Mr. Hauck skillfully directs long, continuous scenes with a good mix of close-ups and wide shots. He also praised the cinematographer, Bill Fernandez, for using a special lensing technique that adds depth to the film.
Dennis Harvey of Variety magazine called the film "a very aware genre exercise," meaning it is clearly inspired by classic noir films. He praised actor Hawkes for his performance, saying he plays a man searching for someone with the right serious tone for a noir hero. However, he noted that the film’s lack of clear character backgrounds and plot details make it hard to connect emotionally.
Sheri Linden of The Hollywood Reporter wrote that the film’s style is very deliberate, with references to classic movies and a story that moves out of order. However, she said the film’s creative choices can feel overwhelming, and the story is not as enjoyable as it could be.