Killer Heat, 2024.
Directed by Philippe Lacôte.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Richard Madden, Shailene Woodley, Manos Gavras, Babou Ceesay, Clare Holman, Abbey Lee, Emmanouil Gavridakis, Eleni Vergeti, Christos Efthimiou, and Argyris Gaganis.
SYNOPSIS:
Follows twin brothers who find themselves in a dangerous love triangle on an isolated Greek island. The investigation is given to “The Jealousy Man,” a wounded detective.
Following the investigation of an “accidental death” within a wealthy family somewhere on a Greek island, there isn’t much heat in director Philippe Lacôte’s Killer Heat. Based on a short story titled The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbø with a screenplay adaptation from Matt Charman and Roberto Bentivegna, some character dynamics are worth expanding in a feature-length film, such as its flawed private investigator central protagonist. Played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt with a dry blandness that never quite gets at the internal struggles going on, Nick Bali either has no family or is avoiding them (I won’t reveal the specifics), but it is safe to say that he is the novel’s titular “jealousy man,” an unflattering characteristic that has elevated his game when it comes to snuffing out lies and misdeeds stemming from similar behavior.
This means that while he is investigating the unfortunate death of Leonidas Vardakis (Richard Madden), presumed to be from a tragic free solo rock-climbing incident that opens the door for excessive narration about Greek mythological figure Icarus and his infamous story about flying too close to the sun (if you take a shot every time this is brought up and contrasted with what is happening on screen, you will be headed to a hospital before the third act begins), there are flashbacks, which gradually become clearer, depicting Nick’s dysfunctional family life. At times, it’s fittingly uncomfortable and gives pause on whether or not he is someone worth rooting for, but for the most part, the filmmakers mostly toe the line between bringing flaws to light and then sugarcoating them to keep the investigative procedural more conventional and crowd-pleasing. By the end, it’s a full-on cringe, unearned happy ending.
The mystery itself involves Nick’s services being employed by Leonidas’s sister-in-law, Penelope (Shailene Woodley), who remains loyal to Leonidas. Most everyone, including the police chief (Babou Ceesay), who has officially closed the case, has great suspicion that there is foul play. Leonidas also has a twin brother named Elias (also played by Richard Madden). Nick’s questioning of various individuals also shows a love triangle between the brothers and Penelope running back to college, with Elias as the more confident go-getter who “stole” the women of Leonidas’s dreams.
Too much about the plot shouldn’t be said, but it’s sufficient to say that what is really going on here is a cross between predictable and borderline implausible absurdity. Wordsmiths out there will be able to catch on to the twist provided they understand an offhand comment, but that’s not to say most viewers might not already have their suspicions. The problem is that the film doesn’t do nearly enough to make any of it believable and convincing, which is frustrating considering how grounded the storytelling strives to be.
Killer Heat (a bizarre title leading one to believe they are about to watch an action flick) doesn’t have much to say about problematic relationships regarding any of these characters, primarily using it as an excuse for trashy airport novel thrills. In this case, it also might be an excuse for these actors to go on vacation and depict Greece as your next destination worth traveling to. Anything remotely interesting there is to do here with morality or flawed humanity results in a missed opportunity. The whole endeavor is uneventful, toothless, and more filler than killer.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check here for new reviews, follow my Twitter or Letterboxd, or email me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com
