By Sarah Osman

Let’s hope that The Last Showgirl launches a new phase in Pam Anderson’s career.

Pamela Anderson in a scene from The Last Showgirl.

Whenever I hear the word “showgirl,” I immediately think of the 1995 camp classic Showgirls. That absurd look at Vegas’s seedy underbelly single-handedly ruined actress Elizabeth Berkley’s career, but the film has since become a beloved midnight staple. Filled with dialogue like “They want tits and ass, you give ’em tits and ass” and the wildest pool scene in cinematic history, Showgirls is the so-bad-it’s-good Vegas comedy.

The Last Showgirl, directed by Gia Coppola and starring Pamela Anderson, is the antithesis of Showgirls. No actual tits and ass are shown (even though the characters dance in a nude revue) and there are few, if any, laugh-out-loud lines. A thoughtful character study, The Last Showgirl serves as an effective starring vehicle for Anderson as well as a mournful take on Vegas of yore.

Anderson stars as Shelly, a seasoned showgirl who was once the star of Le Razzle Dazzle. She’s friends with Annette (Jamie Lee Curtis), a former showgirl-turned-cocktail waitress beset with gambling and alcohol addictions. She also serves as a de-facto mom to two younger dancers, Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Anne (Brenda Song) as she  navigates a tricky relationship with her own daughter, Hannah (Billie Lourd). When stage manager Eddie (Dave Bautista) sadly tells her that Le Razzle Dazzle is about to end, Shelly is forced to reflect on her life and what the future holds for her.

There is talk of a possible Oscar nod for Anderson, which would be well deserved. Donning no makeup physically or emotionally, Anderson infuses Shelly with a vulnerability that is so sincere it becomes utterly heartbreaking. Shelly truly believes she is an artist, even though she’s not that great of a dancer and her show is no longer the glittering dynasty it once was. She desperately wants to connect with her daughter, but it’s understandable why Hannah is cautious — Shelly has always been more committed to the show than to her. Anderson’s performance keeps this melodramatic setup from falling apart — even with Curtis’s brilliant turn as Annette, who is the bitter, angry version of Shelly.

Utilizing soft lighting and camera angles, Coppola paints a Vegas that is far less garish than the city that is usually splashed across the screen. This is a loving look at Vegas, through the eyes of someone who is proud to call the strip her home. This nonsensationalized cinematography makes Shelly’s story far more compelling — if The Last Showgirl was shot with all the bright lights and neon flash that conventionally comes with Sin City, the heart of the story would be lost in the glare.

Where The Last Showgirl fails to dazzle is its screenplay. Writer Kate Gersten remains so fixated on Shelly’s story that the other characters fall by the wayside. Why does Jodie consider Shelly to be her mom? What is her backstory, and why is her relationship with her own mother so tenuous? Why does Mary-Anne seem to hate the show and, if so, why does she bother to stay? We know Annette was once a showgirl too, but what else occurred in her past to make her the way she is? Yes, this is Shelly’s story, but more of a focus on the other showgirls would have expanded on this nostalgic of portrait Vegas, making it far more poignant. As for Shelly, it is never exactly clear what drove her to become a showgirl in the first place, other than the fact that she was pretty.

Let’s hope that The Last Showgirl launches a new phase in Anderson’s career. She may still be known as a Baywatch babe (which isn’t that far off from a showgirl), but she reminds us here that she’s always been a talented actress — she just needed the right opportunity to showcase it.  Shelly’s future may be up for grabs, now that she’s hung up her rhinestones, but for Anderson, this film may prove to be a new beginning.

Sarah Mina Osman is based in Los Angeles. In addition to The Arts Fuse, her writing can be found in Huffington Post, Success Magazine, Matador Network, HelloGiggles, Business Insider, and WatchMojo. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and is working on her first novel. She has a deep appreciation for sloths and tacos. You can keep up with her on Instagram @SarahMinaOsman and at Bluesky @sarahminaosman.bsky.social.