Netflix Political-Thriller ‘The Last Thing He Wanted’: Plot, Cast, Trailer & Release Date

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February is a stacked month for Originals on Netflix, and an Original we can’t wait to arrive is the political- thriller The Last Thing He Wanted. We have everything you need to know about the upcoming Original including the plot, cast, trailer, and Netflix release date.

The Last Thing He Wanted is an upcoming Netflix Original political-thriller directed, written and produced by Dee Rees. Based on the screenplay adaptation of Joan Didion’s novel of the same name, this is the second Original directed by Dee Rees after Mudbound.


When is the Netflix release date?

The Last Thing He Wanted will be available to stream on Netflix on the 21st of February, 2020.

The political-thriller has already had its world premiere where it debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on the 27th of January.

Will The Last Thing He Wanted be available to stream in my region?

Netflix picked up the film for global release so no one will be missing out on the release of The Last Thing He Wanted.


What is the plot of The Last Thing He Wanted?

The following synopsis has been provided by Netflix:

A veteran D.C. journalist loses the thread of her own narrative when a guilt-propelled errand for her father thrusts her from byline to unwitting subject in the very story she’s trying to break.

Is The Last Thing He Wanted based on a true story?

Despite the ‘real-life’ setting, The Last Thing He Wanted isn’t based on a true story, and is instead based on the novel of the same name by author Joan Didion. Director, Dee Rees co-wrote the screenplay adaptation of the novel alongside Marco Villalobos.

The Last Thing He Wanted by Joan Didion – Copyright. Alfred A. Knopf


Who are the stars of The Last Thing He Wanted?

The following cast members have been confirmed to star in The Last Thing He Wanted:

Role Cast Member Where Have I Seen/Heard Them Before?
Elena McMahon Anne Hathaway Les Miserables | The Dark Knight Rises | Rachel Getting Married
Treat Morrison Ben Affleck Argo | Gone Girl | Good Will Hunting
Richard McMahon Willem Dafoe Spider-Man | The Lighthouse | The Florida Project
Alma Rosie Perez White Men Can’t Jump | Fearless | Untamed Heart
Jones Edi Gathegi X-Men: First Class | Gone Baby Gone | Death Sentance
Olivia Laura Niemi This Is Us | Jobs | Justified
Delia Jené All the Little Things We Kill | Orange Is the New Black | Law & Order
Cat McMahon Onata Aprile What Maisie Knew | Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Yellow
TBA Toby Jones Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy | The Hunger Games | Captain America: The Winter Soldier
TBA Mel Rodriguez Little Miss Sunshine | Three Burials | Panic Room
TBA Carlos Leal Better Call Saul | The Boarding School | Casino Royale

Fun fact

Four of the leading cast members have starred in DC Movies. Anne Hathaway previously starred in Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy as Selina Kyle/Catwoman in The Dark Knight Rises. Ben Affleck starred as Bruce Wayne/Batman in Batman vs. Superman and Justice League. Willem Dafoe starred in Aquaman and Rosie Perez is starring in the latest DCEU film Birds of Prey, portraying the character Renee Montoya.


When and where did filming take place for The Last Thing He Wanted?

Filming took place in the summer of 2018 and ran from the 3rd of July until the 12th of August. It’s been a long time coming, and as to why it’s taken the film so long to be released is unknown.

According to IMDb, filming took place in Puerto Rico.


What is the run time of The Last Thing He Wanted?

We can confirm that the run time of The Last Thing He Wanted is 115 minutes.

What is the parental rating?

Not one for the children, The Last Thing He Wanted has been given an R rating.

Can I watch The Last Thing He Wanted in 4K?

The Last Thing He Wanted will be coming to Netflix in 4K, to watch the film in the highest resolution you will need a premium subscription, a 4K device and an internet connection capable of streaming 4K titles.


How have critics responded to The Last Thing He Wanted?

Sadly, the general consensus from critics hasn’t been great so far.

The Last Thing he wanted has struggled to gain fanfare from critics since premiering at Sundance Film Festival. Based on eight reviews at Metacritic has earned the political-thriller a score of 37 out of 100. Rotten Tomatoes has given a less than favorable score of 6% out of sixteen reviews. IMDb is more favorable with a 5.4 out of 10 but still not a score that compliments the film.

We wouldn’t want anyone to avoid watching the film based on critic reviews, it’s best to go in and make your mind up for yourself.


Will you be watching The Last Thing He Wanted? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by

Jacob joined What's on Netflix in 2018 as a fulltime writer having worked in numerous other industries until that point. Jacob covers all things Netflix whether that's TV or movies but specializes in covering new anime and K-dramas. Resides in Norwich in the United Kingdom.