‘Last Take’ Review — Doc digs into the tragic killing of Halyna Hutchins

A review of the new documentary, on Hulu 3/11

On October 21, 2021, a film called Rust was in production in New Mexico. A Western, Rust was set to star Alec Baldwin, who was also a producer. During a camera rehearsal for a shot meant to show Baldwin taking a concealed gun out of its holster, the gun went off; the bullet passed through the body of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and went into the shoulder of director Joel Souza.

Souza survived; Hutchins did not.

Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna, a new, somewhat clunkily-titled Hulu documentary, sorts through the aftermath of the shocking incident and tries to get to the bottom of why, exactly, there were live rounds on a movie set. That’s never, ever supposed to happen, and the fact that it did occur means drastic process changes are necessary to protect people who make movies. This documentary is more than an investigation into Halyna’s death, though; it’s also a reminder of her life, of the art she was so proud of. It’s an effort to put her back in the center of a story that she was often curiously missing from, as the media seemed desperate to make it all about the man who held the gun.