Last Woman on Earth 1960

On a holiday in Puerto Rico, Harold Gern, a successful New York businessman who is constantly in legal trouble, travels with his attractive wife, Evelyn Gern, who is described as being “between trials.” They are joined by Martin Joyce, Harold’s lawyer, who has come to discuss the latest indictment and to observe how the couple handles life outside the courtroom.

During a boat trip, the three test out newly bought scuba diving equipment. When they surface, they find they cannot breathe without the tanks. They quickly return to their boat and discover Manuel, the crewman, dead, apparently from asphyxiation. Rowing ashore, they enter the dense jungle. With their air running low, they stumble upon a surprising fact: the surrounding foliage seems to give off oxygen that they can breathe, an eerie glimmer of survival in a world that suddenly feels empty.

Venturing into town, they encounter an unsettling silence—nobody is left alive, and radio contact is impossible. It becomes clear that they may be among the last people on the planet. Harold’s domineering nature comes to the fore as he tries to take charge and shape their new, fragile reality. The trio learns to be self-reliant, fishing for sustenance as marine life appears to have endured the strange shift in their environment. They also encounter living insects and baby chicks, signaling that life persists in small, fragile forms and offering a glimmer of continuity amid the collapse of normal society.

As the days stretch on, Harold contemplates moving north to a cooler climate to curb the insect threat and improve the odds of meeting other survivors. The survival calculus brings tension to the surface, especially around Evelyn’s autonomy. Harold asserts ownership of Evelyn, while Martin reminds him that the rules have changed in this new world. Evelyn, who has never felt genuine love from Harold, begins to sense a new freedom and agency. After Martin sleeps with Eve, she tells her husband she was not raped. Harold gives Martin two hours to leave, and the two men part ways in a tense departure toward the boat. Eve hesitates, and Martin asks her to come with him; she agrees, and they set off together, pursued by Harold in a desperate chase.

The tension erupts into violence as Harold overpowers Martin and kills him. In the aftermath, Harold offers his hand to Eve, and the two set off together, stepping into an uncertain future where survival, possession, love, and freedom collide in a harsh new order.