Personally, all it takes is an interesting cast to convince me to sit down in a theater or on my couch at home to watch a movie without feeling the need to look up any further information about it. Killer Heat fits into this “category”, featuring a trio of leads played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Don Jon), Shailene Woodley (Ferrari), and Richard Madden (Eternals). Directed by Philippe Lacôte (Night of the Kings) and written by Roberto Bentivegna (House of Gucci) and Matt Charman (Bridge of Spies) – adapting Jo Nesbø’s short story The Jealousy Man – viewers follow Nick Bali (Gordon-Levitt), a private detective hired to investigate the accidental death of Leo Vardakis (Madden), a shipping magnate and identical twin of Elias – also played by Madden – and brother-in-law to Penelope (Woodley), the wife of the deceased, who doesn’t believe the official police report.
Murder mysteries are a subgenre with tremendous potential. Not only can these be incredibly captivating when properly executed, but they also have the added value of shocking the audience with unexpected twists, as well as sparking a “competition” among viewers to be the first to figure everything out. Killer Heat had the right ingredients for an enjoyable night in, but any higher expectations gradually faded. The first act introduces the characters and the respective case, but soon, the answers to what should be complex questions become way too obvious and ridiculous.
Killer Heat relies heavily on direct, often forced exposition to explain not only the actions that unfolded over time but also what the characters feel and think, including a narration by Gordon-Levitt that doesn’t help counter the film’s dull, monotonous tone, and the uneventful plot. Bentivegna and Charman’s script follows all the known formulas and cliches, so by the time the final act arrives, there’s an avalanche of insane twists whose logic is so far-fetched that even the most inattentive, carefree viewer will find it too convenient and hard to believe.
Since any plot or character development is driven forward through exposition, Killer Heat also delivers these theoretically shocking revelations with forced dialogue to inform the audience of what’s happening. And while the twists lack believability, they also enter a realm of extreme predictability due to the generic narrative. Without the mystery element to captivate the audience throughout the movie, Lacôte looks to the decent performances of the cast to carry the film to its end.
Unfortunately, neither Gordon-Levitt, Woodley, nor Madden deliver memorable performances on the big screen. Unable to overcome the formulaic constraints of their scripts, the actors do their best with what they’re given, incorporating the central theme of jealousy and envy, despite it being superficially explored. Killer Heat also struggles with the lighting in some scenes, where it looks like the actors are standing in front of a green screen due to oversaturation, even though the film was shot on location in Greece.
Final Thoughts on Killer Heat
Killer Heat holds a talented cast, but the movie ultimately gets lost in tedious, exposition-driven dialogue, a lack of genuine surprises, and over-the-top twists. The performances are competent but can’t save a formulaic adaptation that also fails to meaningfully explore its prominent theme of jealousy. A bland, easily forgettable murder mystery of just 95 minutes that… feels too long. Something clearly went wrong.
Rating: D-
Killer Heat will stream on Prime Video on September 26th.
You can watch the film when it comes out on the Prime Video website.
You might also like…
