You’re Killing Me review.
You’re Killing Me gives us a strong final girl…not just in ability to survive…but also in the strength of her convictions. It loses a bit of steam in the second act…but picks back up for a very strong finish.
New movie reviews will not contain spoilers.
You’re Killing Me
Directed by Jake Barsha
Written by Tom Forrestiere
Starring McKaley Miller, Brice Anthony Heller, Wil Deusner, Keyara Milliner, Dermot Mulroney and Anne Heche
You’re Killing Me Review
You’re Killing Me is a very focused and effective story about doing the right thing no matter the cost. It gives us a lead protagonist who will risk everything to discover the truth. That she can’t fully know what she is risking her life for, relying on a gut feeling of what’s right, makes her an admirable character. There are multiple opportunities for her to escape and even profit from her situation…but You’re Killing Me is, at its core, a movie about doing what’s right…not what’s easy.
Eden (McKaley Miller) is desperate to gain admittance to her dream college. Knowing that classmate Barrett (Brice Anthony Heller) and his congressman father (Dermot Mulroney) are the key to making that dream come true…Eden and best friend Zara (Keyara Milliner) head to a house party to try and earn favor with the family. When Eden sees a video of Barrett and friends with a missing classmate on the day of her disappearance…her night becomes about survival…and uncovering the truth.
The first act of You’re Killing Me does a fine job introducing us to the characters and setting the premise of the story. It whisks us into the action at a brisk pace. Aided by some very solid performances…the movie pulls you into the world with ease. Heller plays Barrett as an untrustworthy character with an easily dislikable disposition. Miller nails Eden’s unstoppable drive right from the start. It’s a trait that we will watch the character display in an impressively unwavering fashion as the story progresses.
You’re Killing Me does falter a bit in the second act. Essentially a prolonged battle over a cell phone…there weren’t quite enough ideas to fill the whole sequence. So much of the movie becomes about finding a way to charge the phone and see the end of the incriminating video that it can border on silly. What makes it work is Eden’s refusal to relent. She could escape several times…she could just give the phone back…later she could even benefit from her knowledge…but she will not stop until the truth of Melissa’s disappearance is revealed.
There are some fun moments in the second act…it just goes on a bit too long. A cat and mouse game where the mouse doesn’t want to leave is an interesting concept. I’m not sure that You’re Killing Me takes full advantage of the scenario. It does start to ramp up the stakes as we approach the third act…which will get the movie fully back on track.
The third act of You’re Killing Me is where we get a lot of the fun. Dermott Mulroney and the late Anne Heche enter the picture as Barrett’s well-off and influential parents. People who are used to getting what they want no matter what. They handle things differently than you would expect from a movie that has started serving up some violence and mayhem. Money and power can buy off a lot of problems…but can it buy off a problem like Eden? Her conviction in discovering the truth suggests that it cannot.
The late addition of Mulroney and Heche comes at a perfect time in the film. It lets us take a breath and consider a different kind of monster. Their offer of a solution comes so easily…and are so tempting that you’d forgive anyone for accepting it. Whatever happened to Melissa won’t be changed by whatever is on the rest of that video. But lives can be changed for the better by just walking away.
You’re Killing Me is a little light on humor…but there are a few genuinely funny moments. We hear the title of the movie said a few times by a character in the film…not always with the same meaning. That was a cute idea. It would have benefited form some more laughs layered in…especially in the second act…but the overall tone of the film is consistent.
Most of the violence in You’re Killing Me happens off-screen. The production value is high in the picture so it’s not a pure case of budget concerns. Other than one cut away from a scenario late in the going…where we only see the before and after…it doesn’t detract from anything. There are some good aftereffects at play.
You’re Killing Me isn’t really a story about violence…even though it is an occasionally violent story. It’s a story about choices. A story about believing in your gut and doing what is right at any cost. It’s effective as that story and an entertaining watch. Eden’s conviction is the centerpiece…the different levels of monsters that surround her are the fun.
Scare Value
You’re Killing Me succeeds in large part due to the care put into its main character. Eden’s resolve and persistence to do the right thing in a dangerous situation is admirable. The lengths she will go to for the truth are impressive. You may leave your viewing thinking that you’d have taken any number of outs presented to her along the way…but that’s what makes her character so impressive.
3/5
You’re Killing Me Links
Rent/Buy on VOD from Vudu and Amazon
You’re Killing Me Trailer
If you enjoyed this review of You’re Killing Me, check out Dermot Mulroney’s other 2023 horror release: Scream VI or the unrelated Hunt Her, Kill Her
