This Mystery Thriller’s Poor Execution Overshadows What Could’ve Worked

The film, directed by David Guglielmo from a screenplay by Kathy Charles, really wants us to get in the mood for what’s to come. But I don’t think there’s anything that fully prepared me. Love Bomb
goes beyond expectation, centering a trio of characters who all have one thing in common — the Love Bomb dating app, which is unlike any dating app out there. Imperfect performances and a thin premise negatively affect the film. Guglielmo and Charles certainly try to do something different with its story, but it’s the execution that needs a lot of work.

Love Bomb is ominous. It begins with Josh (Josh Caras) coming home to his girlfriend, Anna (Jessie Andrews), who’s cooked a nice meal but who’s annoyed that Josh is late. She accuses him of cheating; he denies it; they have sex. But there’s a camera attached to the wall and someone is watching. The next morning, Josh is in for a rude awakening when Tom (Zane Holtz), Anna’s husband, waltzes in and locks Josh in the house. From these early moments, the clarity of what’s going on isn’t there but I admit I was curious enough to keep watching.

Love Bomb’s Message Falls Flat

This Is Largely Due To The Film’s Execution

It’s the film’s hold on its mystery that ultimately deters it from being cohesive. By a little less than the midway point, Love Bomb began to lose my attention. The characters are all thinly sketched — something the poor and imbalanced performances don’t elevate — and the dialogue is far too on the nose to be taken seriously. While Anna, Josh, and Tom each come off a certain way at first, flashbacks reveal their backstories and their involvement in Love Bomb, a dating app that values role-play above all else. The film fashions itself a thriller, but there’s something sorely lacking.

One of the things that struck me first about Love Bomb is the music and editing. There’s an attempt with the former to be mysterious, but after a while, it starts to grate on the nerves because it anticipates what we’re meant to feel next. The editing tries to build intrigue and suspense, and occasionally it does, but I couldn’t help but feel like I was watching a student short film stretched too thin, even if it’s only an hour and 15 minutes. I wanted to like it, but there isn’t a lot to recommend it beyond an interesting conceit.

I’ve been thinking about the film’s overall message. It’s mixed and confused, but there’s something there deep down that could have been teased out had it taken the time to do so. There have been plenty of discussions about dating apps and their functionality, but Love Bomb barely scratches the surface of its meaning in the context of its users. The characters each have their reasons for using the app, but the film is more preoccupied with style over substance. By the end, it all felt meaningless and empty.

The Film Isn’t Much Of A Thriller

The Deadly Consequences Don’t Land

I was probably supposed to feel shock — or something other than indifference — but the execution simply didn’t cut it. The pacing felt like a slog to get through after the first 20 minutes, but perhaps one of the more frustrating elements was the unnecessary monologues, explaining things to us rather than showing them. It’s rather painful to listen to. The movie’s a thriller whose elements are practically tacked on to make things more exciting. It’s as though the filmmakers didn’t trust us enough to be engaged so they had to turn things deadly.

Holtz was the most dynamic of the trio, and his character’s backstory had some genuine heft to it, but when it came to all three characters, there was a lot of talking and conversations that rang hollow. Considering the low-budget production, Love Bomb would’ve benefitted from more engaging and energetic exchanges between them.

All told, Love Bomb had the parts to make a decent film, but it doesn’t rise to the occasion. It’s not a well-made film, though it has a few moments that suggest it could’ve been better than it is. That potential is ultimately lost, as the film’s heavy-handedness and ambitions toward making a twisted thriller destroy whatever might have been salvaged.

Love Bomb is now playing in theaters. The film is 85 minutes long and not rated.

3/10

In Love Bomb, three individuals are drawn together through a dating app meant for brief encounters, leading to unforeseen, deadly repercussions.