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The Last Showgirl Plot Summary

Since 1987, Shelly has been part of the “Razzle Dazzle,” a slightly risque, for the times, show featuring beautiful women dancing around in rhinestones, who Shelly saw as the epitome of beauty. However, over 30 years later, the show is on its last leg, about to end, and at 57, Shelly is unsure of her next move. She has dedicated her life to this show, even put it over being a mom to her own child, while being seen as a mom to her fellow dancers – and what does she have to show for it beyond decades old marketing?

“The Last Showgirl” has us watch Shelly deal with the final two weeks of the show and the struggle to plan her next move, considering she never planned for a life after the “Razzle Dazzle.”

The Last Showgirl – Film Details

Film Length	1 Hour 29 Minutes
Release Date	January 10, 2025
Initially Available On/Via	Theatrically
Advisory Rating	Rated R
Genre(s)	Drama
Distributor	Roadside Attractions
Director	Gia Coppola
Writer	Kate Gersten
Character Name	Actor
Shelly	Pamela Anderson
Jodie	Kiernan Shipka
Hannah	Billie Lourd
Mary-Anne	Brenda Song
Annette	Jamie Lee Curtis

Movie Contains: Cursing, Nudity, Sexual Situations (Implied), Drinking, Smoking, Excessive Depiction Of Bodily Fluids
Official Site Link
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Character Descriptions

Shelly

Shelly is one of the biggest Las Vegas showgirls and truly one of the last from the golden era of the 1980s. But, she sacrificed a lot for this role and as she reaches the end of her time in the “Razzle Dazzle” she finds herself questioning if the sacrifices were worth it since it seems she may not have much to show for it now.

Jodie

Jodie is a 19 year old girl, who is a talented dancer, willing to do things risque, and who sees Shelly as a maternal figure.

The actor is also known for their role in “Sweethearts.”

Hannah

Hannah is Shelly’s daughter who she has a strained relationship with.

The actor is also known for their role in “Booksmart.”

Mary-Anne

Mary-Anne is another dancer for the “Razzle Dazzle” who doesn’t romanticize it like Shelly, and makes it clear it isn’t much more than a job for her. Yet, despite how she complains, she has been working at the “Razzle Dazzle” long enough to have seen Hannah grow up.

The actor is also known for their role in “Dollface.”

Annette

Annette is Shelly’s best friend who retired from the “Razzle Dazzle” and became a cocktail waitress nearby to make ends meet.

The actor is also known for their role in “An Acceptable Loss.”

The Last Showgirl Review

Our Rating (79/100): Mixed (Divisive)

“The Last Showgirl” certainly can be seen as a shift in Pamela Anderson’s career, and a signal that she is far more than the majority of roles people would quickly name when thinking about her. However, while her performance is notable, it could be questioned if, in the process of making Shelly’s story feel a bit more universal, the individual got forgotten about to a point. For when it comes to the characters of “The Last Showgirl,” many can feel distant, and present anything you learn almost like something accidentally blurted out than you truly being meant to build a connection to learn about, understand, and feel something towards any specific character.

Highlights

It Is A Quality Performance From Pamela Anderson

Like a lot of people, my knowledge of Pamela Anderson’s filmography is limited. I know she was in “Baywatch,” which made her a household name, but beyond that? She was never seen enough to have evolved into a personality, but didn’t get cast for roles that allowed her to be anything beyond Pamela Anderson.

However, as Shelly it seems she got an overdue role that, similar to what we saw for Jennifer Coolidge with “The White Lotus,” tapped into the persona many knew well, but allowed us to see beyond the superficial often handed to her. As Shelly, yes, there is a certain level of simplicity on the surface, but that is because you see Shelly has crafted herself a rather simple life from dancing on stage, dinner with friends, paying bills, and seeing her daughter when she can.

Was there conflict? Not really. Loneliness? Eh. In many ways, you can see someone who skated through life with minimal conflict, which makes the end of her career, not by her choice, all the more of a wake up call and devasting. Watching Anderson play this out creates mixed emotions. In many ways, she is standing in for every person, man or woman, who has been pushed out and made to feel obsolete.

Yet, for women especially, she gives a portrait of what it means to feel like society tosses you away when you lose your youth and the world doesn’t appreciate anything but one kind of beauty. Mind you, not in as dramatic of a way as we saw in “The Substance,” but rather in a way that feels more real. For there is a certain need to not just take it on the chin but ask why? Whether there is something you can do different, wanting an acknowledgement you are still a person, able to evolve and change, and not like an old computer, or other technology, that has reached its limit.

Now, I won’t say this is guaranteed to bring you to tears, but it does add another portrayal to the burgeoning conversation of how aging is a challenging and unfair experience that, for women especially, is the type of disruptor that can be hard to recover from.

On The Fence

Wanting More Of Shelly’s Past

As much as Shelly may show physically, in terms of who she is behind the glitter, rhinestones and costume, almost each reveal is a surprise. From being a mother to how she was as a mother, who the dad is and more, as Shelly loses the “Razzle Dazzle,” you realize how much of that was a shield for her. So as the shield gets lowered, if not finally breaks, it is almost shocking to learn who Shelly is.

Now, unfortunately, you don’t learn everything. What we learn about her starts in 1987, and as for childhood and life before she got the show, information is scarce. Heck, even in terms of her relationship with her daughter, Hannah, you get sparse details that allow you to paint a picture, but mainly with a limited color palette.

This lack of information, admittedly, makes the beginning of the film a bit hard to get into, since you feel so much like a member of her audience rather than someone seeing behind the curtain. But as she reveals little pieces of herself, it does help you get invested beyond wanting to see Pamela Anderson take on something more serious.

Wanting More From The Supporting Characters

Like Shelly, little tidbits of information drop from side characters that makes you want them to continue talking and tell us more about them. For example, Jodie, a 19 year old part of the “Razzle Dazzle,” makes it clear she isn’t from Vegas, has adopted Shelly as a maternal figure, and there are issues between her and her birth mom. Unfortunately, Shelly shuts her out before we could learn more, and too much attention be taken from Shelly.

The same goes with Mary-Anne, another member of the “Razzle Dazzle.” While she makes it clear she is there to make cold hard American cash, there is the need to question what lead to this method? Is she like Jodie and perhaps not from Vegas? Was she born and raised and settle upon this line of work? Honestly, the only supporting character I didn’t find myself wanting to know more about is Annette, Jamie Lee Curtis’ character, but that was because she felt complete in getting a personality, some back story, and even where her life was heading.

Listed Under Categories: Mixed (Divisive), Movies

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