Exploring the Hidden Film References in The Last Dinner Party's Prelude to Ecstasy

The Last Dinner Party's Giallo-inspired short film is full of cinematic nods.

Following the success of their Mercury Prize-nominated baroque-pop debut, London-based band The Last Dinner Party has dipped their toes into the realm of cinema with a new short film/music video, directed by Harv Frost. The 15-minute Giallo-inspired work weaves together six tracks from the album, brimming with film references from classic horror to arthouse cinema.

The film opens with lead singer Abigail Morris arriving at a grand mansion—a modern-day Red Riding Hood in platform boots—to the lush strings of the eponymous opening track, Prelude to Ecstasy. We enter a foreboding dance school reminiscent of the Tanz Akademie from Dario Argento’s 1977 classic Suspiria, which is run by a coven of witches looking to sacrifice their students to their crumbling matriarch.

1. Suspiria, 1977

   

   

   The film then transitions into The Feminine Urge, with smashed plates, more ballet and a chilling face-peeling scene— a clear nod to Patrick Bateman’s infamous unmasking in American Psycho. The mood softens with Gjuha, a haunting choral piece sung in Albanian by keyboardist Aurora Nishevci, offering an intimate reflection on her heritage and the struggles of not speaking her ancestral language. 

2. American Psycho, 2000

   

   

   For Sinner, the imagery draws heavy inspiration from Sofia Coppola’s The Virgin Suicides and Peter Weir’s iconic Picnic at Hanging Rock. The band run through idyllic fields and splashes around in a tranquil lake.

3. The Virgin Suicides, 2000

   

   

4. Picnic at Hanging Rock, 1975

   

   

   Guitarist Emily Roberts floats face up in the water amongst the reeds, an angelic Ophelia in gold angel wings shredding her Music Man Goldie guitar. 

5. Melancholia, 2011

   

   

   The short film concludes with a dive into the supernatural in Burn Alive, referencing elements from Poltergeist, with the eerie static on the TV, and culminating in a more interpretive, less graphic homage to the infamous subway scene from Andrzej Żuławski’s 1981 horror masterpiece Possession.

6. Poltergeist, 1982

   

   

7. Possession, 1981

   

   

   And lastly, beware the eyes that paralyse, there is also a nod to the bright-eyed glow of the children of Village of The Damned in one of the final scenes.

8. Village of the Damned, 1964

   

   

The album itself feels very cinematic, so it’s no surprise that these visuals perfectly complement the music, blending high art with macabre storytelling. The short has also been released on DVD, for the 90s babies, from their official site: https://www.thelastdinnerparty.co.uk/

Watch the full short film on Youtube:

I’m sure there are plenty more references hidden throughout the film. Have you spotted any that I might have missed?