Bethan Waller in The Last Rite (2021) © Nocturnal Pictures
Writer / Director: Leroy Kincaide
Starring: Bethan Waller, Johnny Fleming, Kit Smith
Production Company: Nocturnal Pictures
Kent Locations Used: Ballin’ – Maidstone, Barming, Eastwell Manor Hotel, Hemsted Forest – Cranbrook, Kangaroo Court Coffee House – Chatham, Lenham, Sevenoaks, St Peter & St Paul Church – Aylesford, Teston Bridge Country Park, Wildwoods Restaurant – Maidstone
The Last Rite (2021) is an indie horror film about medical student Lucy who begins suffering from sleep paralysis and falls prey to a demonic force set on tearing her life apart.
The debut feature of writer and director Leroy Kincaide, The Last Rite stars Bethan Waller as Lucy, Johnny Fleming (Soho) as her boyfriend Ben and Kit Smith (Echoes, Sniper Corpse) as Father Roberts.
The film was shot entirely on location in Kent. The main location, Ben and Lucy’s house, was filmed in a private house in Barming, Maidstone. Other Maidstone locations featured include Dr. Bennett’s (Simon Rhys-Jones) office, Ballin’ (formerly Gallery Superclub) and Wildwood Restaurant which double as The Cuban Bar and bathroom.
Another Maidstone location featured in the film is Teston Bridge Country Park, which appears in a short sequence where Lucy meets Father Roberts for the first time and asks for his help.
In the nearby town of Lenham, a private house features as the exterior and interior of Dr Andrews’ (David Kerr) house, where Lucy goes to seek answers about The Man in the Hat.
The Chancellor’s office, where Father Roberts goes to plead the Church for an exorcism, was filmed at Eastwell Manor Hotel in Ashford.
The exterior and interior of St Peter and St Paul’s Church in Aylesford doubles as Father Roberts’ church, where Lucy goes to seek help.
Hemsted Forest in Cranbrook appears in a short dream sequence, where Lucy imagines herself waking up in the woods and being haunted by The Man in the Hat.
A private house in Sevenoaks doubles as the living room and bedroom of Father Roberts’ house
Kangaroo Court Coffee House (formerly in Chatham, now in Rochester) features in a small scene where Lucy and her friend Ellie (Tara Hoyos-Martinez) meet to discuss the otherworldly figure in Lucy’s house.
As the county town of Kent and seat of local governance, Maidstone plays an important part in Kent’s history. The River Medway runs through Maidstone’s town centre, which is bustling with many shops, restaurants, bars, churches and a museum. Previous productions to have filmed in Maidstone include Series 2 of This Time with Alan Partridge (2021), Rustom (2016) and Series 1 of Missing (2009-2010).
Teston Bridge Country Park spreads over 32 acres and consists of three meadows beside the River Medway. Other productions to have filmed here include Half Broken Things (2007) and Dunkirk (1958).
Lenham is a market village situated on the southern edge of the North Downs, halfway between Maidstone and Ashford. In its centre is the busy but picturesque square, which has two public houses, a couple of restaurants, and a tea-room, as well as various shops. The village is at the main source of the Great Stour as well as the River Len, which flows in a westerly direction to join the River Medway at Maidstone.
Built in a Neo-Elizabethan style in 1920 on the site of the former stately home Eastwell Park, Eastwell Manor Hotel offers uninterrupted views over the North Downs, as well as a luxurious dining room, manicured lawns, a gym, leisure club, spa, outdoor pool and 9-hole golf course. The hotel appears in a 1992 episode of The Darling Buds of May (1991-1993).
Aylesford is a picturesque village located on the banks of the River Medway, complete with a Norman Church and Victorian houses. Other productions to have filmed in Aylesford include the Bollywood film Rustom (2016) and Half a Sixpence (1967).
Hemsted Forest boasts approximately 398 hectares of woodland, a mixture of conifer and broadleaf, and is rich in different bird species. The forest is situated in Cranbrook, a busy village with a large smock mill on the North Downs. Both Series 1 and 2 of the detective show Queens of Mystery (2019-2021) feature the village.
The town of Sevenoaks has a variety of shops and restaurants as well as one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country – The Vine Cricket Ground. There are many stately homes and castles in the area as well as beautiful countryside. Recent productions to have filmed in Sevenoaks include The Larkins (2021-2022), The Cleaner (2021) and PRU (2022).
Chatham is a historic town situated in Medway, North Kent and is known for its historic dockyard, army barracks and high street. Series 4 of The Crown (2016-2023) features the barracks, and Operation Mincemeat (2022), along with many other high-profile productions, features scenes filmed at the dockyard.
The Last Rite was released on Amazon Prime on Monday 4th April 2022.
For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.
