The story of The Last Thing He Wanted
The Last Thing He Wanted follows Elena McMahon, an investigative journalist covering the 1984 US presidential campaign, who finds herself at a crossroads when her ailing father makes an unexpected request. Instead of pursuing her assigned story, she abandons her post and heads to Central America—specifically Costa Rica—where she becomes entangled in a dangerous web of weapons trafficking and geopolitical conspiracy tied to the Iran-Contra affair. What begins as a personal obligation to a mysterious father figure spirals into something far more sinister, as Elena discovers that his past is far darker and more complicated than she ever imagined. The film is grounded in the real historical backdrop of Cold War-era US intervention in Latin America, using that turbulent 1980s landscape as the stage for a thriller that's part family drama, part espionage tale.
Behind the making of The Last Thing He Wanted
Director Dee Rees brought this 1996 Joan Didion novel to the screen with an impressive ensemble cast that looked formidable on paper. Anne Hathaway carries the lead role as Elena, with Ben Affleck, Rosie Perez, Edi Gathegi, Mel Rodriguez, Toby Jones, and Willem Dafoe rounding out the supporting cast. The film was produced by Elevated Films, Little Red Hen, and The Fyzz, and landed at Netflix—one of the streaming giant's major theatrical acquisitions aimed at leveraging A-list talent and literary prestige. Running 116 minutes and rated R for language and some violence, the film arrived in February 2020 with considerable expectations. However, critical reception proved brutal. The film holds a 4.4/10 rating on IMDb across 17,030 votes, a 5% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a Metascore of just 35/100. It earned one win and one nomination across major award bodies, though these accolades proved insufficient to sway the broader critical consensus. What's striking is how a cast this accomplished and a director with Rees's track record couldn't overcome what reviewers consistently identified as fundamental structural problems.
What makes The Last Thing He Wanted difficult to recommend
Honestly, the gap between ambition and execution here is hard to ignore. The film attempts to weave together multiple narrative threads—Elena's relationship with her father, her career as a journalist, geopolitical intrigue in Central America, and the shadowy operations of US intelligence agencies during the Iran-Contra era. That's a lot to juggle in 116 minutes, and critics argue the screenplay (written by Rees and Marco Villalobos) doesn't manage it coherently. One reviewer noted that the writing felt "incoherent as it is facile," and that the direction itself seemed scattered, with scenes that don't quite land the way they should. The performances themselves—Hathaway, Affleck, Dafoe—aren't the problem; they're competent professionals working with material that doesn't give them much to grip. What's frustrating is that the thematic core—a woman trying to uncover her father's secrets while navigating Cold War politics—could've been genuinely compelling. Instead, viewers and critics found themselves lost in a plot that meanders without building momentum, and character motivations that don't always track. The 1980s setting and Central American locations provide visual texture, but that's not enough to carry a political thriller that's supposed to interrogate power, complicity, and family obligation. The film wants to be a smart, layered examination of how personal and political stakes collide, but it doesn't quite get there.
Where to stream The Last Thing He Wanted online
The Last Thing He Wanted is available on major OTT services, and you can check the "Where to Watch" widget at the top of this page to see which platforms currently have it in your region. Netflix remains the primary home for this title, given it was a Netflix original release. If you're thinking about whether it's worth your time—and Movie OTT tracks availability across dozens of services—it's worth knowing going in that this isn't a hidden gem or a critical reassessment waiting to happen. It's a film that arrived with significant resources behind it and largely disappointed both reviewers and audiences. That said, if you're a completist interested in Joan Didion adaptations, political thrillers from the 2020s, or Dee Rees's filmography, it's there to watch without an extra rental fee if you already subscribe.
Frequently asked questions
Q: Is The Last Thing He Wanted based on a true story?
No, but it's based on Joan Didion's 1996 novel of the same name, which is a work of fiction. However, the film is set against the real historical backdrop of the Iran-Contra affair and US intervention in Central America during the 1980s, so it weaves fictional characters into genuine historical events.
Q: Who directed The Last Thing He Wanted?
Dee Rees directed the film from a screenplay she co-wrote with Marco Villalobos. Rees is known for her work on films like Pariah and Mudbound, and this was one of her Netflix releases.
Q: What's the IMDb rating for The Last Thing He Wanted?
The film holds a 4.4/10 rating on IMDb based on over 17,000 votes, reflecting the largely negative reception it received from both critics and audiences upon release.
Q: How long is The Last Thing He Wanted?
The film runs 116 minutes and is rated R for language and some violence, making it a standard-length political thriller in terms of runtime.
Q: Why did The Last Thing He Wanted receive such poor reviews?
Critics cited incoherent writing, scattered direction, and a plot that doesn't build momentum effectively despite strong performances from its cast. The film tries to balance too many narrative threads without successfully tying them together in a way that engages viewers.
Final thoughts on The Last Thing He Wanted
The Last Thing He Wanted remains a cautionary tale about star power and literary prestige not being enough to carry a film. When Netflix greenlit this project with Hathaway, Affleck, and Dafoe, it seemed like a sure thing—but execution matters, and this one didn't land. If you're hunting for intelligent political thrillers or Cold War-era dramas, there are stronger options out there. That said, the film's themes about investigative journalism, family secrets, and the murky intersections of personal and political obligation aren't without merit. It's just that the film doesn't explore them with the clarity or insight they deserve. Stream at your own risk.
