It was produced as part of the French film project 2000, Seen By.... McKellar wrote the screenplay about how ordinary people would react to an unstated imminent global catastrophic event.

In Toronto, a group of friends and family prepare for their last night before the end of the world, caused by a calamity that has not been explained but which has been expected for the last few months.

The panic and rioting has largely died down, with only sporadic murders, robberies, and incidents of vandalism as humanity comes to terms with Earth's demise.

After Sandra leaves, Craig tries to convince Patrick to enjoy sex in the final hours and discloses his omnisexual approach to addressing all of his fantasies before "the end."

In the final hour, Duncan opens the door upon hearing a gunshot on the street only to be held hostage by Marty; in the concert that only a few people have attended, Mrs. Carlton quietly walks in while Menzies plays piano poorly on the stage.

Using Patrick's phone, Sandra listens to Duncan's voicemail in which he assured his power company's customers that the gas will be running 'til the end.

[3][5] Instead, McKellar was inspired to make his film about the end of the world, which only focuses on ordinary people's decisions, actions, and encounters that have no significant impact to the imminent catastrophic.

[1] Shortly before shooting began, he learned a Hollywood film called Armageddon was in the works, but opted to go ahead upon hearing the stories were substantially different.

[13] By mid February 1999, Last Night had grossed $400,000 in Canadian theatres, a "respectable" sum, though McKellar noted the film performed better in Athens, Greece than in Toronto.

"[15] Roger Ebert gave the film three stars, noting fears of Y2K were prominent when he was writing in December 1999, but Last Night's apocalypse "paints a picture more bittersweet than violent."

[16] Stephen Holden of The New York Times called the film "a smart, stiff-upper-lip alternative to a movie like Armageddon," and said McKellar and Sandra Oh give "intense performances," but expected more panic in the case of the apocalypse.

[17] Entertainment Weekly gave the film an A−, calling it "a surreal, elegantly melancholy, and yet witty ensemble story," and Oh a "scene-stealer.

"[18] Peter Howell of the Toronto Star commented on the many Canadian cast members, suggesting the film is "too damn Canuck for its own good," and a riot scene would help.

[22] In 2012, Oliver Lyttelton of IndieWire named it one of five "underseen" apocalypse films worth viewing, writing that it compared well to Armageddon and Deep Impact (1998) for "its quiet, character driven approach," and that it was likely the inspiration for Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (2012).