Kill Me review
Kill Me follows Jimmy, after waking up on the brink of death, his own blood filling the bathtub he lay in. To the untrained eye, this would be labeled as a classic failed attempt at his own life. Jimmy is pretty sure he didn’t do it to himself. Working together with the 911 operator who took his call that night, Jimmy tries his hardest to prove that his close encounter with death wasn’t his doing.
Premiering for the first time ever at South by Southwest (SXSW), Kill Me is a comedy, a thriller, and a mystery all rolled up into one. Having only a handful of writing credits before this, this is the first feature-length film from writer Peter Warren and his directorial debut. The film stars Charlie Day, Allison Williams, Giancarlo Esposito, Aya Cash, Jessica Harper, David Krumholtz, and Tony Cavalero. With most of the stars having previous comedic work under their belts, but never having worked together, the chemistry between the cast and the director is tangible and unique. Considering that this is Warren’s debut film, the stacked cast and his inclusion as a part of South by Southwest are very impressive.
With such a depressing opening and subject matter, it’s surprising how much the charm and humor of the film really worked in its favor. Although it’s hard to toe the line between controversial and comedy, especially with a film revolving around suicide and mental health, Peter Warren does an amazing job at riding that line. This movie is fun, silly, and serious in all the right ways. The plot, although somewhat predictable at times, is very intriguing and creatively executed by the director and all the actors. However, as explained during the QnA after the film, the director wanted the audience to believe they had a very clear understanding of what was going to happen at different parts of the film, so then at other points he could use that belief to subvert the audience even further. In his mind, he wanted this false belief brought on by situational evidence to represent how many times with mental illness, those around the person who is affected by it believe they know what is happening, but since they aren’t dealing with it themselves, they never truly can tell.
Charlie Day does an excellent job of playing his character, Jimmy, and gives the audience exactly what they’d expect and more from a performance of his. After seeing how well he can carry himself as a leading man, I was impressed. Charlie Day is excellent in his long-running sitcom, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, but it wasn’t until later seasons that he was given a chance to be more than just comedic relief. In Kill Me, he shows that he’s more than just a funny character with a handful of moments where he can show real emotion, and because of that, he allows the audience to buy into his character and believe that he’s someone struggling with mental illness who believes that someone is out to kill him. All this isn’t to say that the movie is just one long and serious journey; on the contrary, this is one of the most fun and hilarious movies I’ve seen in the theatre. Of course, Charlie Day kills it in this realm, but the rest of the cast help bring this film to life. The whole cast was great, specifically Allison Williams and Giancarlo Esposito. The two actors brought their A game to this film, delivering comedic lines with such ease while also grounding the plot in emotion and having amazing chemistry with Charlie. Overall, I would definitely recommend this film to everyone who enjoys a good comedy. If you’re looking for a great mystery, this may not be for you, but I’m sure you’d find something fun in the film.
