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The Last Bus

Play trailer 1:28 Poster for The Last Bus Released Feb 18, 2022 1h 26m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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50% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
John O'Groats, Scotland: An elderly man, Tom (Timothy Spall), whose wife has just passed away uses only local buses on a nostalgic trip to carry her ashes all the way across the UK to Land's End, where they originally met, using his free bus pass. Unbeknownst to Tom, his journey begins to capture the imagination of the local people that he comes across and, ultimately, becomes a nationwide story.
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The Last Bus

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Critics Consensus

Not even typically brilliant work from Timothy Spall is enough to keep The Last Bus from sputtering into disappointment.

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Critics Reviews

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Tomris Laffly Variety For a tender movie that follows an old man on a long and demanding multi-bus excursion to honor his late wife’s wishes, the placid affair has curiously little emotional range, and an even narrower sense of stakes. Feb 18, 2022 Full Review Simran Hans Observer (UK) [A] plodding road-trip movie... Rated: 2/5 Aug 29, 2021 Full Review Kevin Maher Times (UK) It's just depressingly crude and underworked. Rated: 2/5 Aug 27, 2021 Full Review Keith Garlington Keith & the Movies “The Last Bus” is several things, but above all it’s a moving meditation on life, love, and the commitments we make to those closest to us. It’s also a beautiful reminder of the blessing of memories. Rated: 4/5 Aug 16, 2022 Full Review Frank Swietek One Guy's Opinion Adding a modern social-media twist to the episodic odyssey only exacerbates the sappiness Spall cant entirely mitigate. Rated: C Apr 23, 2022 Full Review Graeme Tuckett Stuff.co.nz Spall does what he can -- but The Last Bus only sputters to life and credibility in a few flashback sequences. Rated: 1.5/5 Apr 14, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Darcy B The Last Bus is a deeply touching journey of love, loss, and resilience. At its core, it’s about one man’s devotion to honoring his late wife’s final wish — a journey that’s both physically and emotionally challenging. The film doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities older people face, but these moments are beautifully balanced by unexpected acts of kindness from strangers; giving it a bittersweet warmth. With skillful direction, it feels as if we’re right there beside him, sharing each setback and every heartwarming encounter. It’s a story that lingers — a quiet, brilliant tribute to love that transcends loss. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 11/06/24 Full Review Lynn K This film had so much potential and had expected a feel good end. However, apart from some initial, uplifting views and a great performance from Timothy Spall this emphasised the worst of humanity and was actually quite depressing. We kept waiting for it to lighten up and there to be one or two more helpful people en route. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Mandy P possibly the most depressing film I've ever watched. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review Murray C Even the great Timothy Spell can't elevate this mediocre piece of drivel, with it's irritating whimsy, cardboard characters and unrealistic dialogue. Nothing about this film is even slightly believable. It's easy enough to watch, but hard to recommend. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 08/10/24 Full Review David J The central theme is a good one. An old man, his wife recently passed away, travels the length of the country on numerous bus journeys using his bus pass to complete an important deed and to revisit his past. Although Timothy Spall is, as you would expect, a class act, what goes on around him feels overly sentimental and at times very clunky. The acting of the various villains of the piece is weak, some of the situations he encounters seem highly unlikely and the script is sometimes quite naive. The final scenes are genuinely heart warming but I’m afraid this didn’t salvage what for me was a disappointment. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 06/29/24 Full Review Kate u An old man goes on a long journey through the UK- why and to what end we learn be watching his progress. It is one of the few films that do not spell it out but just show laconically life. And I cryed. I loved the film because it takes its time and that is part of the secret why not everybody get's it. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/21/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis John O'Groats, Scotland: An elderly man, Tom (Timothy Spall), whose wife has just passed away uses only local buses on a nostalgic trip to carry her ashes all the way across the UK to Land's End, where they originally met, using his free bus pass. Unbeknownst to Tom, his journey begins to capture the imagination of the local people that he comes across and, ultimately, becomes a nationwide story.
Director
Gillies MacKinnon
Producer
Roy Boulter, Sol Papadopoulos
Screenwriter
Joe Ainsworth
Distributor
Samuel Goldwyn Films
Production Co
Kreo Films FZ, Head Gear Films, Metrol Technology, Hurricane Films
Genre
Drama
Original Language
British English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 18, 2022, Limited
Runtime
1h 26m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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