KILLER HEAT
(director: Philippe Lacote; screenwriters: based on the short story “The Jealousy Man” by Jo Nesbo/Matt Chapman, Roberto Bentivegna; cinematographer: Andrew Dunn; editors: Neil Smith, Jay Cassidy; music: Joseph Shirley; cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Nick Bali), Shailene Woodley (Penelope Vardakis), Richard Madden (Elias ‘Leonidas’), Babou Ceesay (Georges Mensah), Clare Holman (Audrey), Abbey Lee (Monique), Richard Madden (Leo); Runtime: 96; MPAA Rating: R; producer: Brad Weston; An Amazon Prime Video Release; 2024)
“Sluggish noir thriller.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
Philippe Lacote (“Night of the Kings”/”Run”) directs this sluggish noir thriller set in Crete, that’s based on the short story “The Jealousy Man” by the Norwegian author Jo Nesbo. It’s scripted by Matt Chapman and Roberto Bentivegna. It tells us that unchecked jealousy can lead to serious consequences.
Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a private investigator. He’s a former NYC cop with a troublesome past (his wife-Abbey Lee-had an affair) and with an alcohol problem, who moved to Athens where he investigates marital infidelities. He is summoned to the island of Crete by the wealthy American expat Penelope Varadakis (Shailene Woodley) to investigate the death of Leo (Richard Madden), who the police say died in a “free solo” rock-climbing accident. Penelope thinks he’s been murdered, but Inspector Mensah (Babou Ceesay), the head investigator, does not want to conduct a thorough investigation.
Penelope’s married to Leo’s identical twin brother, the emotionally violent shipping magnate Elias (Richard Madden, Scottish actor), and is despised by his wealthy family headed by the embittered matriarch (Clare Holman) for being an outsider. The influential family has enormous pull on the island.
Flashbacks to Elias’s past show him as a man obsessed by jealousy, and willing to take advantage of his brother.
The pedestrian story is a dull one. It ticks off your typical noir stereotypes of a private dick, femme fatale, enraged husband, and mob matriarch, who all speak in cliches and are undeveloped as characters.
The scenery looks good, Gordon-Levitt’s performance is decent, and the directing is okay. But this is a forgettable film–it lacks heat, the twists are uninteresting, the execution could be better, and the plodding story is predictable.
REVIEWED ON 11/19/2024 GRADE: C
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