LOOKS THAT KILL
US, 2020, 92 minutes, Colour.
Brendan Flynn, Annie Mumolo, Peter Scolari, Ki Hong Lee, Julia Goldani Telles, Monique Kim.
Directed by Kellen Moore.
Looks that kill is to be taken literally in this film. While it is a romantic comedy, it has an extraordinary premiss that a young man, even from the moment of his birth, when looked at, those who look dropped dead. He has a lethal attraction!
He lives a reclusive life, home-school, only one friend who visits. He keeps his face bandaged. At the opening, his defied by a psychologist – who looks on his face and drops dead.
The friend tries to take the young man out of himself, arranging of date which is a fiasco, an experience of a bully. However, by chance, he comes across a young woman who has a heart condition and they bond, visiting a home for aged care, befriending the elderly ladies there.
It is an up and down relationship, the young man conscious of his situation she offers. Ultimately, they bond. In the background is his caring mother, his computer games preoccupied father and the taking in of a Korean foreign student, surly presence in the house.
There is a sad ending with the young woman dying. There is a somewhat vindictive ending as the bully challenges the young masked man – and the bully drops dead!
- The black comedy premise? Fantasy?
- The American town, homes, restaurants, hospitals, psychologist’s rooms, aged care homes? The musical score?
- The title, the presupposition, Max at birth, the death of the hospital staff, interview with the psychologist, his death? Keeping his face bandaged? Homeschooling? Not going out? Friendship with Dan, at home, computer games, Dan wanting him to go out, arranging the date, the reaction of the girl, and the confrontation with the bully?
- Max’s character, pleasant, the encounter with Alex, her personality, revelation about her heart condition, going to the aged care home, meeting the old ladies, playing cards? The return and the welcome?
- Max, the attraction to Alex, contacts, her keeping away, his following her, the bus stop? The continued friendship, confidences?
- At the hospital, Alex and her mother?
- The bond between the two, visiting the aged care home?
- The buildup to Alex’s illness, information about her death?
- Max at home, his relationship with his parents, devoted mother, his father distracted with the computer games? The decision to have the Korean student?
- The Korean student, her manner, strength, shopping, throwing the boxes away, surly?
- Dan and Max, the bully coming to the door, the challenge, Max unmasking, the bully collapsing and dying?
- A wry romantic comedy, the premise, impossibility, audiences accepting the premise?
