The Last Thing He Wanted

Dee Rees and Anne Hathaway’s Political Thriller: What Went Down Behind the Scenes of The Last Thing He Wanted

Netflix’s The Last Thing He Wanted (2020) promised a gritty, 1980s-set political thriller with Anne Hathaway as a journalist entangled in arms-dealing intrigue. Directed by Dee Rees (Mudbound), the film arrived with a stacked cast—Ben Affleck, Willem Dafoe, Rosie Perez—but landed with a thud, earning mixed reviews and a lukewarm reception. latestnetflix.com's read is that Behind the scenes, however, the project had its share of intrigue, from Rees’ bold creative vision to Hathaway’s dive into a morally ambiguous role.

A Director’s Homage to ’70s New Hollywood

Dee Rees made no secret of her inspiration for The Last Thing He Wanted: the raw, paranoid thrillers of 1970s New Hollywood. In a Netflix featurette, she cited films like The Parallax View and Three Days of the Condor as touchstones, aiming to capture that era’s cynicism and tension . The movie’s aesthetic—gritty cinematography, a synth-heavy score, and a nonlinear narrative—was a deliberate throwback, though critics later argued it struggled to balance homage with originality.

Rees’ approach extended to the film’s political themes. The story, adapted from Joan Didion’s 1996 novel, follows Hathaway’s Elena McMahon, a journalist who abandons her career to fulfill her dying father’s (Willem Dafoe) last request: delivering a mysterious package to Central America. The film’s backdrop of Cold War-era arms deals and covert operations mirrored Rees’ interest in power dynamics, a theme she explored in Mudbound . But where Mudbound resonated with critics, The Last Thing He Wanted left many cold, with some calling it a "muddled" adaptation .

Anne Hathaway’s Risky Role

Hathaway, known for her polished performances in Les Misérables and The Devil Wears Prada, took a sharp turn with Elena McMahon—a character she described as "flawed, messy, and morally gray" . In a Sundance Q&A, Hathaway revealed she was drawn to the role’s complexity, particularly the way Elena’s personal and professional lives collide . The actress, who had worked with Rees before on the short film The Kyd’s Exquisite Follies (a musical fantasy mentioned in passing in the evidence), trusted the director’s vision .

But the film’s reception put Hathaway’s gamble in question. Critics praised her commitment to the role, with some noting her ability to convey Elena’s desperation and defiance . Others, however, felt the character lacked depth, a critique that stung given Hathaway’s reputation for meticulous preparation. In the same Sundance Q&A, she hinted at the challenges of playing a woman whose motivations are constantly in flux, suggesting the role required a level of emotional rawness she hadn’t explored before .

Ben Affleck’s Brief but Memorable Turn

Affleck, who played Treat Morrison, a shady U.S. government operative, had limited screen time but made an impression. His casting added star power to the project, though some critics argued his role was underwritten . The actor, who had just come off Triple Frontier (2019), seemed to embrace the film’s pulpy tone, delivering a performance that leaned into Treat’s ambiguity—was he a villain, a pawn, or something in between?

Affleck’s involvement also fueled speculation about his career trajectory at the time. After a string of high-profile flops (Justice League, The Kitchen), The Last Thing He Wanted was another Netflix-backed project, part of his pivot toward streaming. While the film didn’t revive his box-office clout, it reinforced his willingness to take risks in smaller, character-driven roles .

A Netflix Gamble That Didn’t Pay Off

The Last Thing He Wanted was a Netflix original, part of the streamer’s push into prestige thrillers. The platform gave Rees and her team creative freedom, but the final product struggled to find an audience. Rotten Tomatoes scores hovered around 30%, with critics calling it "confusing" and "lacking urgency" . The film’s French release, Sa dernière volonté, fared slightly better, earning a 4.1/10 rating from viewers but still failing to generate buzz .

Behind the scenes, the film’s production was relatively smooth, with no major scandals or on-set drama reported. Rees and Hathaway’s collaboration seemed to be a highlight, with both women praising each other’s work in interviews . But the lack of controversy may have worked against the film—without a juicy behind-the-scenes story, The Last Thing He Wanted faded quickly from the conversation.

The Verdict: A Flawed but Fascinating Experiment

For all its flaws, The Last Thing He Wanted remains an interesting footnote in Dee Rees’ filmography. It was a bold swing—a political thriller with a female lead, directed by a filmmaker known for her nuanced storytelling. The cast, particularly Hathaway and Dafoe, delivered committed performances, even if the script didn’t always match their efforts.

The film’s biggest misstep might have been its timing. Released in February 2020, just as the pandemic upended the industry, it was overshadowed by bigger Netflix titles like The Irishman and Extraction. Had it arrived in a different moment, its 1980s-inspired paranoia might have resonated more. Instead, it became a cautionary tale about the risks of adapting dense, literary material for the screen.