Is the movie Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna based on true events? Details revealed

Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna follows the true story of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, who tragically lost her life nearly four years ago. Hutchins was 42 at the time of her untimely death, which happened on the set of Rust, an indie western film. The documentary is directed by Hutchins' friend, filmmaker Rachel Mason. It chronicles the unfortunate events on the film's set along with the court proceedings investigating this incident.

Actor Alec Baldwin was at the center of these cases since the prop gun in his hand fired a live bullet, which hit Hutchins and the film's writer-director, Joel Souza. Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna offers personal testimonies from those who witnessed the incident and were close to Hutchins, including Souza and Mason. In an Instagram post, Mason wrote an impassioned note addressing Hutchins.

"Halyna. I'm never going to get over your death. If you can hear me, wherever you are, I hope you know that I tried my best to help the world understand the vastness of your light, and how impossible it is to reconcile that something so terrible happened to someone as extraordinary as you. It is not fair. I want to remember you like this. We were forced to share with you before your time. I want the world to know you as the artist, mother, visionary, and great friend that you were to me and so many others."

The True Story Behind Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna

Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna recounts the tragic incident from 21 October 2021 on the set of Rust. It follows the events leading up to the prop gun firing that took Ukrainian cinematographer Halyna Hutchins's life and injured director Joel Souza.

The documentary also covers its aftermath and court trials, which included actor Alec Baldwin and the movie's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed.

Director Rachel Mason uses behind-the-scenes footage from surveillance and body cams to offer a look into this incident. While speaking with Decider, she revealed why she decided to add this sensitive footage to her documentary during the editing process.

"Things do come out of edit and you suddenly realize, ‘Oh, we need that. All I wanted to do was focus on the good stuff—Halyna’s art. But what you end up having to do are two different things. Sometimes the film tells you have to do this, sometimes executives tell you you have to.”

She further added,

"I really wanted to make sure that was subtle. If we had to have it, we would have to do it like this.”

Director Joel Souza, who was also injured by the firing, recounts his on-set experience after he and Hutchins got shot.

“I kinda remember feeling like someone hit me in the shoulder with a bat. I couldn’t move anything. I was laying this way, and she was laying that way. I remember just locking eyes with her for a minute.”

While following these events through archival footage, Mason offers firsthand accounts, which offer additional insights into this incident. Through their testimonies, Mason focuses on the utmost importance of safety protocols on film sets.

Last Take: Rust and the Story of Halyna begins streaming on Hulu on March 11, 2025.