Last Mile, on Delta

Regrettably, one of the best ways to damage an “Amazon”-like corporate behemoth, especially one that prides itself on its “customer-centric” values, is through those customers. Survivors tend to leave very bad reviews when their packages explode. That has been happening throughout Japan on the worst possible day, Black Friday, in Ayuko Tsukahara’s Last Mile, which is now available on some international Delta flights.

Despite its record high volume Amazon’s Daily Fast’s Kanto warehouse has a troubled reputation, so Japanese expat Erana Funado was dispatched back home from corporate HQ to whip it into shape—on the busiest day of the year. Her chief lieutenant, Ko Nashimoto does not seam to mind being passed over. Yet, he represents the only management team member still employed at Kanto since the incident to be revealed later.

It is safe to assume someone else still remembers and remains upset over it. That tragedy emerges as the prime motive in a string of Amazon Daily Fast shipments that were rigged to explode. Strategically, many of the bombs targeted shipments of Amazon’s Daily Fast’s new proprietary smart phone. Given the season, there are hundreds of temp workers clocking into the Kanto facility, but the security precautions make it nearly impossible to smuggle in explosions. Indeed, the cops are baffled, leaving Funado and Nashimoto the best bets to solve the crime.

It makes sense Delta chose Last Mile for their in-flight entertainment, because nothing is more fun than a thriller about concealed bombs while you are sealed in an airliner flying over the ocean. This one is just okay, but it is extremely zeitgeisty. Quickly, the investigation focuses on the Sheep shipping company, from which Amazon Daily Fast has extorted huge discounts, thanks to their monopsonistic buying power. Of course, those concessions naturally come out of driver compensation.

So, Last Mile (a reference to the final leg before a package reaches its recipient) might not turn up on Prime anytime soon. The two-hour plus running time is also excessive. Yet, Akiko Nogi’s screenplay clearly reflects the abiding Japanese interest in corporate culture and teams, as exemplified by kezai shosetsu Japanese business novels.

Fittingly, Funado is the most intriguing character, because her corporate loyalty is often open to interpretation. Her resourcefulness is also impressive. Hikari Mitsushima brings a lot of screen charisma to the lead role, without overplaying the cloying pluckiness. It is easy to believe the more laidback (but comparatively underdeveloped) Nashimoto could work with her.

Unfortunately, Last Mile is overstuffed with colorful but incomplete supporting figures. Perhaps the most successful is Sadawo Abe’s portrayal of Ryuhei Yagi, the Sheep shipping executive, who was already under extreme stress, even before packages started exploding. We also get to know (and respect) the Sanos, a father and son—nicely played by Shohei Hino and Shohei Uno—who now deliver together after suffering various economic setbacks. However, the small army of cops, customers, and corporate sharks are largely cliches of the most manipulative sort.

Last Mile is a big-canvas thriller, somewhat in the tradition of Bullet Train Explosion, but it lacks equivalent strength in characterization and set-piece action sequences. Nevertheless, it taps into some very current anxieties. It isn’t great, but it is good enough to pass the time during a nine-hour flight. Earning a modest recommendation, largely for the work of Mitsushima and Abe, Last Mile is currently available on some American-bound international Delta flights.