The noir genre, which peaked in popularity from 1941 to 1959, evolved and adapted to the times in terms of updated themes, visual style, storytelling, etc., giving birth to the neo-noir subgenre. Initially, the neo-noir movement did not receive much attention while it was happening, and it did not enjoy the same level of popularity as its predecessor. However, the subgenre made a stunning comeback from 1989 to 2001, delivering some of the most compelling films of the era, with notable examples including L.A. Confidential (1997), Red Rock West (1993), The Usual Suspects (1995), Devil in a Blue Dress (1995), Deep Cover (1992), and many more. Kill Me Again, directed by John Dahl (in his directorial debut), even though released in 1989, is considered one of the earliest examples of the ’90s neo-noir films.
The film begins with violent criminal Vince (Michael Madsen) and his girlfriend and partner in crime, Fay Forrester (Joanne Whalley Kilmer), robbing a couple of Las Vegas mobsters for $850,000 and killing one of them in the process. Fay, sick of Vince’s controlling behavior, betrays him by beating him over the head with a rock and then takes off for Reno with the money. At the same time, we meet Jack Andrews (Val Kilmer), a widowed private investigator in Reno who has fallen on hard times since his wife’s death and has turned to drinking and gambling. He has racked up $10,000 in gambling debts and is now the target of loan sharks. One day, Fay turns up at Jack’s office, posing as a battered wife on the run from her abusive husband, and persuades him to fake her death so that she can get away from the dangerous Vince, offering him $10,000 for the job. Although Jack does not believe her story, he accepts the job because he feels sorry for her and partly because he needs the money. But things don’t go as planned, and Jack soon finds himself in a dangerous situation where the Mafia, the police, and Vince are all after him.
Kill Me Again features the standard noir elements such as a private detective with a dingy office and money troubles, an untrustworthy femme fatale, a doomed love story, murder, and double-crossing set against the all-taking place in a gorgeous desert-like backdrop in places like Las Vegas and Reno, where anything seems to be possible. The film gets off to a promising start with an intriguing plot and compelling characters. However, the story’s trajectory and the characters’ development throughout the film lead to its downfall. The film’s final act, in particular, is hilariously bad due to its illogical plot points (such as a character who is supposed to be dead but turns out to be alive) and its excessive use of double-crossing, which becomes annoying after a while because the point of showing double-crossing is to shock the audience but when shown too frequently, it defeats that purpose.
Another aspect that undermines the quality of the film is the underdeveloped relationship between Jack and Fay. Their relationship should have started with casual flirting, followed by sexual tension and then sex, and even though they are attracted to one another, they still don’t trust one another, but that evolution is missing in this film. There is a scene in which Jack is trying to fake Fay’s death, and the makers choose to establish sexual tension between them at that moment, which is both a poor choice and an inappropriate setting, and it damages their relationship. As the film progresses, Jack becomes increasingly involved with Fay’s problems and finds himself in greater danger. Consequently, this plot point is rendered unjustifiable due to the lack of convincing establishment of their relationship. Had the producers been capable of effectively illustrating Jack’s deep affection for Fay, it would have provided a plausible rationale for his extensive efforts on her behalf, but that wasn’t the case.
The only redeemable feature of the film is Vince’s character, a crazy maniac who knows what he wants and is willing to go to any lengths to obtain it. Michael Madsen gives the best performance in the film as Vince, especially in scenes such as the one where Vince gets into an altercation with Jack in his office—and continues to fiercely drag the table along as he chases after Jack—or the torture scene where he casually and repeatedly gives one character cigarette burns. He gives off an eerie, menacing vibe with his performance’s blend of casualness and abrupt, violent outbursts. I wouldn’t be surprised if Quentin Tarantino decided to cast him in Reservoir Dogs (1992) after watching Kill Me Again because he is easily the film’s standout performer.
Kill Me Again movie links: IMDB, Letterboxd
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