REVIEW: Pamela Anderson shines in career defining 'The Last Showgirl'

(NEXSTAR) — Earlier this fall, director Coralie Fargeat's horror comedy "The Substance" made waves for its phantasmagoric take on the perennial chew-them-up-spit-them-out tale of actresses in Hollywood — and of women outside of the movies. This Friday, Gia Coppola's third feature film, "The Last Showgirl" hits theaters and takes another look at the prices women pay for their careers and for beauty.

"The Last Showgirl" follows star Pamela Anderson as Shelley, a 57 year-old Las Vegas dancer whose once legendary ensemble act is coming to end. Though once the star of the show, she's been a supporting player for decades. Shelley's dedication to the show — which she views as a moving art piece akin to the cabarets of Paris — is at odds with everyone else's view of the show as a dated dime-a-dozen Vegas act with naked girls.

We learn that Shelley's dedication to her dancing resulted in a chaotic and unstable home life for her now-college aged daughter Hannah (Billie Lourd), who's been raised by family friends. As Hannah re-enters her life after a year of silence, Shelley must face what she gave up for a career that now feels like it was based on nothing.

Shelley is almost 60 — well past her "prime," according to Vegas — and has nothing to show for her passion. What's more: Shelley realizes her life's work is considered a joke to some, including her daughter, and Anderson meets this moment of fantasy-breaking with some effortless but exhilarating acting.

Though the script has existed for years, the main role feels built for Anderson and the film succeeds on a metatextual level with her at the center. Anderson, undoubtedly the biggest sex symbol in the world during the 1990s, has spoken openly about the costs of her fame and success. In recent years, Anderson has also faced criticism over her decision to go makeup-free in her daily life and to embrace aging — a bold move for any actress, but especially so for the woman who once defined the term "blonde bombshell."

"I can relate to it ['The Last Showgirl'] on so many different levels," Anderson told Deadline during the Toronto International Film Festival earlier this year. "As a mother, as a person in this industry whose — most of my career has been about external and not really about the soul of what really happens behind the superficial qualities that people hire you for or know you for."

Anderson brings a glamour-free honesty to her non-showgirl scenes in the film, often appearing with little makeup and casual hair. Meanwhile, the 57 year-old's performance as Shelley is both grounded in reality and also a thing of whimsy in the way only someone like Pamela Anderson could offer. As Shelley spirals, Anderson is often doing multiple things in the same scene, playing both tragedy and comedy, and manages to disappear into the role just enough that viewers will often forget it's "Pamela Anderson from 'Baywatch'" on screen.

In that way, Anderson's performance transcends the expectations and biases we might have about her in this film — but it also plays with them in a way that is a testament to Anderson's acting choices and Coppola's direction.

Anderson's Shelley is joined by a host of other well-shaped characters, including cocktail waitress Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis) and show producer Eddie (Dave Bautista), both of whom manage to break your heart in small doses.

Ultimately, the star of "The Last Showgirl" is Anderson, as the film itself — while well-crafted, written and directed — offers likely not as much resolution as some viewers are going to want. To its credit, the film doesn't beat its themes over the audience's head (a complaint lobbed at "The Substance") but in practice, that means elements of the movie feel underdeveloped. There's an open-endedness to the film that might leave some wondering what it was all for, though some could argue that the film's seeming lack of resolution is true to life.

While "The Last Showgirl" probably won't be listed among 2024's "best" films, Anderson makes enough of a case for herself to be included in awards conversation. Earlier this week, Anderson was nominated for her first-ever Golden Globe. It's also her first major film award nomination ever. Additionally, as noted by Screen Rant, "The Last Showgirl" is also Anderson's first film to earn a "fresh" score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Award season will be interesting to watch with Anderson in the mix but beyond that, it's refreshing to see the actor finally thriving after all these years. It's unclear if "The Last Showgirl" will springboard her into further feature films but given her performance here, the possibility of that happening feels very exciting.

Score: ★★★★☆