Crime drama Killer Heat is destroying Prime Video’s movie chart, while being in return destroyed by both critics and audiences. Based on the Jo Nesbø novella The Jealousy Man, the highly anticipated adaptation comes with some strong talent, including Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Richard Madden, but like so many streaming successes, has been completely crushed when it comes to its reviews.
Directed by Philippe Lacôte, Killer Heat finds Madden playing the dual role of twin brothers Elias and Leo, who are caught in a violent love triangle with Penelope Vardakis (Shailene Woodley). When Leo is said to have died in a climbing accident, Penelope enlists troubled detective Nick Bali, known as the “Jealousy Man” of the novella’s title, to discover the truth about the death. Set on a remote Greek island, the movie comes with plenty of Mediterranean sun and picturesque backdrops, but that kind of thing doesn’t help a good story –which many don’t believe Killer Heat has.
Alongside Madden and Woodley, Gordon-Levitt plays detective Bali, and seems to be one of the few good things about the movie according to critics. Despite being noted in several Rotten Tomatoes reviews as giving a “stand-out perform,” the actor’s take Bali hasn’t been able to save the movie from crashing to a horrendous 6% Tomatometer score, which is not improved on by the opinions of the many viewers who have tuned in to watch the movie.
Killer Heat is a Stone-Cold Dud
Like so many movies before it, the high expectations of Killer Heat has been its ultimate downfall. Bringing in acclaimed actors like Gordon-Levitt as well as Eternals and Game of Thrones star Madden would usually add some gravitas to a dark and brooding crime drama, but in this case, it seems that no amount of talent has been able to redeem what has unanimously been called a “laughably generic” crime thriller.
It is clear from the premise of the movie that there are plenty of classic and overused crime tropes, such as the central themes of love, jealousy, and betrayal, which stack up alongside a powerful family who control the police and a detective with a troubled past. Along with complaints about a thin plot, lack of any emotional connection with the characters, and “over-the-top” twists, only one positive review saved Killer Heat from landing the dreaded 0% score.
While there have not been enough audience reviews to generate a score, a quick scan of the comments and the 0.5 scores give the clear view that this is one of those rare occasions when everyone is in sync with their opinions. As one viewer Yoran B summarized:
“Can’t believe I wasted my time on this. It was an absolute disgrace to the gods of cinema. Acting was terrible the plot was shot and the ending was cheap and predictable. Safe yourself and skip this one my friends.”
However, there are clearly many people who have not skipped the movie, as it is leading the Prime Video chart by some way right now. How many will remember it once its initial burst of interest dwindles is a different matter altogether.
Killer Heat
is streaming now on Prime Video.