Review: Killerman

Professional hitman moniker or Megaman villain? That’s the first question to pop in my head when I heard about Killerman, the limited release crime thriller from director Malik Bader (Street Thief). Turns out neither of those is anywhere near correct, and the actual mundane reasoning for the title requires more mental gymnastics than I would have thought.

Set just a few years ago in New York City, Killerman follows money launderer Moe Diamond (Liam Hemsworth) and his best bud Skunk (Emory Cohen) in their attempts to build a name for themselves in the Big Apple’s criminal underworld. Key to their plan is Skunk’s uncle, Perico (Zlatko Buric), who’s in the middle of his own big real estate plan. Perico provides the duo with the money for a drop, but calls it off at the last minute. Skunk, determined to get something out of the situation, uses the money for a coke deal… that just happens to involve a gang of crooked cops. Soon, a chase ensues, resulting in a car accident that leaves Moe without any memory of who he is. Now our boys have a bunch of cops on their trail and a lot of dumb decisions to make.

Killerman is one of those basic crime thrillers that should wind up as a pleasant afterthought. Bader’s script goes through the usual tropes, with a few B-grade flourishes (again: this is a movie about an amnesiac money launderer), and up until the last twenty minutes employs its humdrum arsenal in an entertaining, albeit empty slew of chases through Atlanta New York, Scorsese lite dialogue, and dark moments meant to let us know that, yes, this is a gritty flick. Everything comes to a head in those final scenes, wherein we’re presented with a twist that’s at once totally ludicrous and sadly telegraphed since Act 1.

In a lot of ways, Killerman is similar to this year’s Serenity, wherein Matthew McConaughey tries to catch a fish named Justice and enters into a murder plot with his ex-wife. That film feels strangely humdrum as well, with little to really separate it outside of some bizarre flourishes, until the final twist pulls back the curtains and leaves us confounded in all the worst ways. Both films fall flat on their faces and exude pride all the way down.

Ignoring the lame finale, Killerman’s preceding hour and forty minutes is enjoyable, if overlong for what it is. Bader and cinematographer Ken Seng (Deadpool, Terminator: Dark Fate) craft a genuinely cool, stylish world that might even sucker you into thinking it’s smarter than it really is. Fluorescent tubes, neon club lighting, and overcast daylight all pulse through Killerman’s veins, suggesting a style akin to Nicolas Winding Refn’s Drive. Oddly enough, Zlatko Buric is a direct connection with Refn, having played Milo in all three of the Pusher films. He’s one of the movie’s bright spots, but much like the glorious shot-on-film cinematography, he’s just not enough to elevate the film as a whole.

Speaking of Drive and films of its ilk, Killerman’s worst crime is being unmemorable. Where the aforementioned odyssey of violence and awkward silences contains plenty of standout set pieces (the elevator scene, for example), Killerman is devoid of such scenes. For a movie predicated on its main character’s aptitude for violence, it’s shocking that none of his deplorable acts have any lasting qualities beyond “yeah, that dude killed a guy, man.” It’s strange, because these moments are unquestionably gruesome, but whether it’s a lack of imagination or the weight of viewer indifference, not even a horrific dog attack leaves much of an impression.

Moe and Skunk’s relationship comes close to salvaging these problems. It’s obvious that the script wants us to see something profound in their story of male friendship and bonding, but their under cooked plot winds up sabotaging itself once that dreaded finale rears its ugly head. For what it’s worth, both actors do a fantastic job, and if there’s one big positive in this stew of missed opportunities, it’s that I’d love to see more out of all the main players.

Killerman is a gritty film, but it’s neither smart nor captivating. What it presents us with is a mildly entertaining set up for an inept twist, populated by characters who really deserve a better script to play with. While not a total waste of time, it is by no means essential. Pretty? Certainly. Violent? Absolutely. Worth a watch? Maybe as part of a lazy Sunday, when you have little going on and not many expectations to meet.