Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Sandi Hardingm, the manager of the world's last remaining Blockbuster - located in Bend, OR, reflects on the store's vibrant past and navigates the difficult task of keeping a video rental store open in the era of streaming.
The Last Blockbuster earns its standout Novelty score by capturing a genuinely singular cultural moment — the last surviving outpost of a once-dominant global chain, threading nostalgia, commerce, and the human cost of technological disruption into one charming time capsule. Sandi Harding is an engaging subject and the community warmth around the store is palpable, giving the documentary solid emotional footing. The plot is straightforward but affectionate, carried more by the curiosity of its premise than narrative tension. Acting is moot in a documentary context, though interview subjects and talking heads (comedians, filmmakers) vary in depth and insight, landing below average in terms of adding analytical weight. Cinematography is workmanlike — functional but unremarkable, typical of modest indie docs. The ending is satisfying enough, leaning into hopeful sentiment without overreaching.