Killer Heat beautifully unravels a murder mystery in a timeless, lovely film with a brilliant twist. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars opposite Shailene Woodley in this captivating film which sees a family fall apart while evoking a feel of a noir crime drama. Gordon-Levitt is excellent as the private investigator/narrator of the story, and as the mystery comes undone, the clever narrative shines brightly.
Nick Bali, played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, is a washed-up PI known as The Jealousy Man. When he is hired to investigate the death of a wealthy and influential figure on a remote Greek island, it becomes apparent that his family runs the island, and the community likes to keep things close to their chest. As the story progresses, deceit, ambition, and murderous intent make it a tough case to crack, but Nick feels a personal connection that keeps him coming back until the mystery is solved.
Killer Heat Puts Film Noir In A Whole New Light
In gritty noir crime films, it was common for a tired and frustrated detective to take on a job that changed everything. Building on their namesake, noir films would be dark in terms of the color grading, often in black and white, as well as the cynical and frustrated attitudes of the detectives involved. This style became iconic throughout the 1940s and 1950s, but Killer Heat takes noir to a distinctly different setting.
Gordon-Levitt’s performance as Nick Bali sells the story and firmly establishes it in the crime noir genre.
Rather than dingy alleyways, shootouts in the dark, and dimly lit police stations, Killer Heat brings noir into the light. By setting the story on the bright and exceptionally scenic Greek islands, it clearly doesn’t look like a film noir movie. However, Gordon-Levitt’s performance as Nick Bali sells the story and firmly establishes it in the crime noir genre. Even without the voice-over analysis from the worn-out PI, his general onscreen presence and flashback scenes provide ample evidence of it.
In keeping with that noir style, everyone involved attempts to present a poker face when it comes to the mysterious death of Leo Vardakis, but this is key for the film to function. At the heart of the story, there is a mystery we’re invited to solve alongside Bali, but all the suspects are attempting to avoid suspicion. In the context of the film, the more reserved and strained performances do exactly what they need to.
Killer Heat Pulls Through With The Mystery
The challenge for a murder mystery is concealing the truth of the core mystery, while still making it believable and something that could be uncovered throughout the investigation. Killer Heat presents the mystery at the top of the film. Everything after that is a flurry of detail to cover up the truth, while also introducing the key figures that will play a part in the film’s third act.
The challenge for a murder mystery is concealing the truth of the core mystery, while still making it believable.
While some keen observers may be able to guess the mystery at the start, Killer Heat does a great job of providing small, but meaningful dialogue, personal connections for Bali, and complicating factors that take it from an easy case to one that requires more thorough investigation. This creates a genuinely satisfying and compelling resolution that grips us and keeps us engaged. Ultimately, Killer Heat delivers something new and refreshing that deserves to stand out for its creativity and clever storytelling.
Killer Heat is now available to stream on Prime Video. The film is 97 minutes long and rated R for language, some sexual content/nudity and violence.