This film follows the wonderfully British tradition of darkly comic understatement! "[15], The film's writer-director, Staten Cousins Roe, was nominated for the 2019 FrightFest Screen Genre Rising Star Award. A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE DIRECTOR: STATEN COUSINS-ROE / SCREENPLAY: STATEN COUSINS-ROE / STARRING: POPPY ROE, KATIE BRAYBEN, BEN LLOYD-HUGHES, SINEAD MATTHEWS, SIAN CLIFFORD, TOMIWA EDUN / RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 13TH A young woman struggling to find her place in the world turns to the world of self-help. When James Franco made his soap opera debut in 2009, it was as a serial killer named Franco on ABC's General Hospital. Cheddar Goblin is my co-pilot. This process is automatic. All this changes on the day that Louise meets Val (Poppy Roe, who also edited and produced), a self-proclaimed life coach. Depending on whether you give any credence to what the practitioners do or instead, view them as money-grubbing charlatans, your mileage may vary as to how stoked you are for their inevitable demise, but personally, I felt some of them definitely deserved it. (Rossum's Universal Robots), written in 1920 in Czech and first performed in 1921. That it mostly succeeds in this balance is down to the unfussy, firm hand of writer/director Staten Cousins Roe. A Serial Killers Guide to Life is structured in vignettes, each one corresponding to a platitude from Chuck Knoahs teachings. Had the pleasure of viewing A Serial Killers Guide to Life and Grimmfest this year followed by a Q&A with its director and it's certainly been a film to make a lasting impression. So this naturally limited my buy-in to the concept here. This month, a story about a breakup, and some voicemails. "[11] James Perkins of Starburst wrote "Satire is very difficult to do - especially when trying to find the balance of telling an interesting story and also being respectful to anyone affected by the source material. Our DoP, James Layton, helped source our camera. Director: Lena Dunham. You're the best life coach ever, Val. The next stop is a "sonic vibration" retreat, where Lou and Val are the only two attendees of the husband-and-wife couple who run it at their large house. As Vast as Space and as Timeless as Infinity, With an M.Sc. [16], 2019 film written and directed by Staten Cousins Roe, "[Review] 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' Takes Life Coaching in A New Direction", "How we made A Serial Killer's Guide To Life", "[Exclusive] Arrow Releasing Bloody Comedy 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' in January 2020; Watch the Trailer! You did pretty good for your first time. This is all the more hilarious for being real, I suppose. "[13] Bryan Yentz of Rue Morgue felt the same way. Internet Service Terms There is a dry sense of black humour to the film the girls turning from bashing the head of Owain Rhys-Davies in with a rolling pin to saying Dont forget to bring the sandwiches. On the other hand, this is never a black comedy that goes for the throat or pushes everything into uncomfortable territory as a work like Sightseers does. These scenarios are all interconnected and drive the story forward, without overstaying their welcome. . Children at Play! I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy the film's storyline all that much, but I thought the scenery and film crafting was excellent - well shot and edited. Repeated viewings of the film only make these narrative choices stand out more noticeably. Kill off social media influencers, reality TV celebrities or Los Angeles Dodgers fans, and Id be right there with you. We all need a little help to become better people, right? The films dark comedic aspects along with just the right character development and intrigue made this a very enjoyable watch. While the documentary crew within that film know from the start that its protagonist is a serial killer, and Lou only gradually comes to the realization that Vals been knocking off folks as they drive about the British countryside, in both cases, the followers quickly become willing participants in the murders committed by the lead. The acting was brilliant. Chuck Knoah. When you give yourself over to possibility, anything can and will happen, Noah said in a voiceover. Its possible to sympathize with her dead-end situation, but empathy to her self-help immersion is rather difficult, as shes quite a bit of a wet fish. For, as the title suggests, Val is a psychotic if smart killer, who is specifically targetting those same gurus. seeks escape with mysterious 'Val' her new life coach. Val and Lou, with how Roe and Brayben present the characters, complement each other perfectly. Lover of good beer, bourbon, and horror flicks. Irritated with her life, not to mention her mother, Lou attends a self-help seminar. External Reviews To have achieved this in just a 2 week shoot on a modest indie budget takes exceptional vision and talent so expect more gems from this excellent film making team. On iTunes in the UK: https://apple.co/2YbAz2d On iTunes in the US: https://apple.co/2YbAz2d On iTunes in Canada: https://apple.co/2YbAz2d Meet Lou Farnt: a 3. All I want in life are simple home invasion slashers that run less than 90 minutes. Spoiler-free #review is up. TV Shows. Serial murder meets self-help in A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - a darkly satirical cross between Thelma & Louise and Sightseers from the creative team behind the award-winning short film This Way Out (Best Comedy, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2013). The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review. She befriends Val at one of the many self-help meetings she attends and the two decide to take a little trip together. Writer, director, editor Staten Cousins-Roe has created a wonderfully dark world as seen through the eyes of Lou, a young woman trapped at home with a frightningly needy mother. Harsh Light News is now available on the News360 website and app. Ironically, once Knoah realizes these are the two serial killers on the news, he says his publisher would just love their memoirs, and is on a phone call arranging a meeting when Val shoots him in the head. If youve ever wondered what the title characters of Thelma (Geena Davis) & Louise (Susan Sarandon) would be like if they were serial killers, this would be it. It does have a great cast and all (which is probably its biggest strength), but overall, I just didnt think that it was anything special and I was left feeling more than a little underwhelmed after everything was said and done. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is the debut feature from actor-turned-director Staten Cousins Roe, one that is sure to join the ranks of fellow recent British cult horrors Prevenge and Sightseers. Serial murder meets self-help in A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - a darkly satirical cross between Thelma & Louise and Sightseers from the creative team behind the award-winning short film This Way Out (Best Comedy, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2013). A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. Menu. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. They find him a pathetic wreck, going through a terrible divorce and about to be dropped by his publisher for having no new book ideas. SICK seems to check all the boxesstoked. Watch A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Official Trailer 1. Sony generously agreed to let us use their F55 (the one used on The Crown), and many location owners gave heavy discounts to help support a local, independent film. https://bit.ly/3iEQTqW, Theres Something Wrong with the Children has a lot more going on for it than your average creepy-kid #horror #movie. She later meets the woman, who introduces herself as Val Stone, a self-help teacher who believes she would be perfect for Lou. Copplia, a life-size dancing doll in the ballet of the same name, choreographed by Marius Petipa with music by Lo Delibes (1870); The word robot comes from Karel apek's play, R.U.R. While standing in line at a book signing following a talk by one self-help guru, Lou meets and is awed by the self-assured Val Stone who describes herself as a life coach. But her mother's emotional abusiveness changes her mind. There is a specific choice made in the final act of the film that calls into question much of what has been seen previously. New adventure is an escape and Val is just dark side of the actress. [8], After premiering at the London FrightFest Film Festival on 24 August 2019,[3] it later played at such festivals as England's Grimmfest: Manchester's International Festival of Fantastic Film[9] and Fantastic Film Festival Australia. A Serial Killers Guide To Life, from the University of North Texas, Im a freelance journalist and a social historian. While it could be waved away with the unreliable narrator trope, I did find myself wishing the film had handled either this decision or its reveal differently. I enjoyed Roes performance, which does have much of the same failure to give a damn as Villanelle inEve. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019) Rating: UK. Quirky and tightly written, well acted and filmed despite a ridiculously low budget. The film, written and directed by Staten Cousins Roe, revolves around self-help addict Lou Farnt. As the movie opens, Lou, a twenty-something who still lives at home with her miserable mum, is listening to a self-help/motivational tape while doing a beach walk on the southern coast of England. | A gun-wielding Val chases Lou to the edge of a cliff, and there they have a final meeting-of-the-minds as police sirens and a helicopter close in. A day later, at Val's invitation, Lou visits her at a caravan park. Absolutely wonderfully acted by Katie, Poppy, these 2 have such great on screen chemistry, but let's be honest , Poppy Roe steals the screen every time she's on it, the faces she gives because us, the audience know what she is and what she's up to, just the perfect face every single time, cold and calculated in her planing, but she didn't expect for Lou to be the one to be her partner in all of it. In Winterbottoms film, Reeves was dragged along by a deranged Amanda Plummer. The movie really needs to buy into this concept considerably further, rather than gently nodding its head. I didnt think that things got particularly interesting until maybe the last 20 minutes or so and I am still not sure if I liked the big twist at the end or not as it reminded me of the ending of High Tension in a lot of ways (which I despised and feel ruined the entire movie for me). Katie Brayben, Oh how I ache to find great movies and it's always a delight to find a hidden gem. film review, The two finally arrive at Chuck Knoah's estate. REVIEW: Val Stone: Yeah. Synopsis Lou Farnt is a meek young Englishwoman with poor self-esteem, who is emotionally browbeaten by her harsh and demanding mother, with whom she lives. The title could have been an interesting one, and the story's pacing and camera language were an indescribable failure.The action scenes are also very simple. Not amused by her paying more attention to her audio device than she is with where shes walking, the guy tells her to watch where youre f*cking going. Her response is awkwardly mumbled. Don't read any spoilers before watching or it will be a bit pointless to watch. The next day, Lou leaves with Val in a car, for the purpose of visiting various types of self-help gurus for research. Ben Lloyd-Hughes . Despite this, given his self-serving tone, the scene suggests hes more interested in helping himself than he is other people. Director Staten Cousins Roe deftly builds on his experience directing the short film This Way Out, which also starred Katie Brayben and Poppy Roe. A Serial Killers Guide to Life is bookended by brief platitudes from fictional motivational speaker Chuck Knoah. On paper it does, but I just thought that something was lost between the script and the actual execution of things. 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With Val periodically leaving voicemails to let her mom know she is alright, they make their first stop at a wilderness retreat led by Ben. Being a single young woman who lives at home with her mother as basically a live in care taker , cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc. Constantly reminded of her situation, Lou is a small-town girl whos feeling the pangs of being in a rut. Sometimes a man's and a woman's vision is literally ingrained deep within their own minds and it burns deep begging to be out on film, now just breathe and concentrate of the type of man or woman you truly want to be and show the world i can.yes this review was taking a deep physiological turn as does this film, well a simple deep escape sort of speak. Note the scene where she picks up a rock and begins to run after a woman. See production, box office & company info. One aspect of the film didnt really work for me, and holds it back from a higher rating. Val plans their route, which culminates in a visit to Chuck Knoahs country home. After premiering at film festivals in 2019, A Serial Killer's Guide to Life was released by Arrow Films to digital media / video on demand on 13 January 2020,[1] including the streaming channels Amazon Prime and Hulu and the cable channel Showtime. Instead of your standard "Thelma and Louise" message against patriarchy, Lou and Val travel across the country attending self help groups and murdering the leaders. Jet-black comedy-thriller feature about self help addict, Lou, who unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged new life coach, Val. These scenarios are all interconnected and drive the story forward, without overstaying their welcome. All that changes when she meets Val (Poppy Roe, The Big Finish), an ambitious life . Whos watching? I think my biggest problem with the film is that it is just more boring than anything. When Val does start killing people none of the death scenes are really that memorable and most of them take place off screen for the most part. Colin encouraged me after watching a rough cut, giving some golden advice. We also kindly got edit notes from Julian Doyle (editor of Brazil, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail), which supported the comic timing beautifully. Val, a confident self-empowered woman, seems to possess the answers Lou needs to succeed in life. SYNOPSIS: Lou is a poor, pitiful woman that is obsessed with a self-help guru. Still, she speaks with enough authority to keep nave Lou in check, even when the truth about her "therapy" is out of the bag. Almost pumping into a man walking in the opposite direction, she is immediately brought out of her bubble. Firstly, how long you see the end twist coming before its announced. nice but fake and terribly nonsense in this society. Writer and director Staten Cousins Roe sets the stage for his feature debut before introducing us to one of the films leads, Louise (Katie Brayben). Dir: Staten Cousins Roe www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. In the play, the word refers to artificially created . Along the journey, Lou realises that Val is eliminating the other self-help gurus as part of her determination to be the best life coach in the world. These arent people who have wronged her in any way, more than the most superficial. Lou is momentarily frozen by this unnecessary guilt trip. It stars Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball and others. She allows people to walk all over her. 02/09/2020 Unless being annoying is a capital crime? Low budget film making at its level best. Well, eventually Lou sees the writing that's on the wall and what Val truly is, and Lou doesn't hold back and ends up this was her journey all along. Even the stabs at the pitiful absurdities of self-help gurus wasn't nearly as compelling as it should or could have been; in that sense, the writing lacked inexcusably. All rights reserved. A Serial Killers Guide to Life is based on Roes 2013 much-acclaimed short film This Way Out. Consequently, because of this, she is seen as a doormat. A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. Despite being flattered by the attention, Lou initially can't bring herself to leave home for an extended time for the first time. I recommend watchin it. This had a promising start, and it grew somewhat into its second act, but when it came time for the third act, it just wrapped up with a cop-out ending that had been done too many times before. Lou Farnt (Brayben) is stuck in her life, with a dead-end job, no apparent friends to speak of, and still living with her domineering mother (Ball). Watch jet-black comedy film! [6], A trailer was released in January 2020. Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019), Asterix & Obelix: Mission Cleopatra (2002), May the Devil Take You: Chapter Two (2020), Films Depicting NASA and the Space Program, Films That Make Dubious Claims to Being Based on True Stories, Coming of Age Stories in Fantastic Cinema, Films About Cryogenics and Suspended Animation, Disturbed Psychology as Portrayed on Film. Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life 2019, Comedy/Mystery & thriller, 1h 21m 92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 56% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings Where to watch Rent/buy Rent/buy Want to see Keep. Lou Farnt (Brayben) is stuck in her life, with a dead-end job, no apparent friends to speak of, and still living with her domineering mother (Ball). Tagged as: Meh. Katie Brayben, playing Lou, is possibly better known to Luther fans as Penny Leyton. They are opposites in every way imaginable. A coming-of-age story . Lou is a poor, pitiful woman that is obsessed with a self-help guru. Even though there are a few slow moments, with a run time of approximately 80 minutes, Roes film keeps our attention because it remains focused on the two main characters. Lou stabs Val, who earlier had called the police in an attempt to frame Lou and escape. Roe's Val isn't your typical killer, either: she's guarded, yes, but also nervous. Whos played? Nature Therapy Ben. Hence, a Show me something really scary. With the film being set in the British Isles, I think the more appropriate term would be solicitor. It must be frustrating to have a mother that constantly observes how little one has accomplished. Lifelong horror fan, former projectionist & video store clerk. [6], The film, eventually titled A Serial Killer's Guide to Life, shot for two weeks across 28 locations[7] in Brighton and Sussex, England. Val leaves her card and Lou goes to meet her. It has a very interesting theme (which I won't spoil) that actually speaks for itself with very strong attention to detail, top performances and slick direction. Whilst the two women possess significant differences, one cant help but notice Lou has a well-hidden darkness lurking within her. | As radio news begins reporting about the murders, Lou has Val pull over in order to throw-up in a field. [Brayben and Roe] portray these irredeemable characters in a likable way. "A Serial Killer's Guide To Life follows Lou Farnt (Katie Brayben): a 30-something, . The film establishes well the banality of Katie Braybens dull nowhere life in Brighton, England amid caravan parks and dreary beachfront pavilions; her home life with her mother having to scrub her back in the bath at one point which sits at pointed contrast to the clichs of the positive thinking tapes Katie ingests. Katie Brayben really stands out as Lou and you cant help but feel for her. Note: not if, when. Production Company Forward Motion Pictures. Along the way, Lou and Val drop in on numerous questionable self-help practitioners. But Lou cannot, and the two lay exhausted in the field. Val has a body in the trunk of her car, and the pair will leave many more in their wake. I admit..the movie is a complete B rated film. | Lou and Val, the Thelma and Louise of this film, respectively, are distinctly different. While it wasn't what I was expecting in terms of what I imagined a festival of that name would deliver, I was very glad to have seen it. Kickstarter funded, but confidently directed, handsomely shot and played with perfect pitch by the two leads, A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a homegrown horror . What A Serial Killer's Guide to Life attempts is a very tricky balancing act. She befriends Val at one of the many self-help meetings she attends and the two decide to take a little trip together. Set to be released in the US and Canada on iTunes and Digital HD on January 13, 2020, this film is the debut feature from Writer-Director Staten Cousins Roe and was produced by Forward Motion Pictures, which he runs alongside his wife Poppy Roe. Run time: 1h 48m. Its a twist that is substantially borrowed from Fight Club (1999) but one the film pulls off to modest effect. After some qualms, she agrees to depart with Lou, whodoes indeed deliver on her promise. 390 backers pledged 27,312 to help bring this project to life. [4][5] The film received favorable reviews.[2]. Motivational speakers? Though that may reflect the films general lack of impact. Weve got a #spoiler free review ready but, more importantly, check it out when it drops on digital next week. She is a very sympathetic character and I found myself rooting for her for most of the movie. Children at Play! On the other hand, the film promptly takes a far darker turn and ends up more in the territory of something like Ben Wheatleys darkly comedic Sightseers (2012), or perhaps even tvs The End of the Fucking World (2017-9). Part One, The 3 Best, and Only, Thanksgiving Themed Horror Movies, Top Ten Horror Films For the Holidays 2022 from HNN Presents & Bayview Entertainment, Marketing Macabre Must Read Book List for Halloween 2022, Top Ten Exclusives For 2022 from HalloweenCostumes.com. I absolutely loved it. Its the real deal. It was a fast and furious shoot, often getting one take and moving on. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a 2019 British satirical horror road movie written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by Staten Cousins Roe in his feature-length directorial debut. I choose to highlight this moment because it quintessentially illustrates the kind of person Lou is. "Come see me if you want to change", Val tells Lou. It doesnt help that Maureen, Lous mother, constantly makes comparisons between her daughter and Betty Smith. Smart and clever, A Serial Killers Guide to Life is a brilliantly well-executed dark comedy. And often these targets of the satire seem as though they are barn doors broad enough that they barely need to be spoofed. Very bizarre, very British, very funny, very good! She seeks escape from one self-help guru after another, spending her money on their books, DVDs and audio-tapes, though with little or no apparent positive results. I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy the film's storyline all that much, but I thought the scenery and film crafting was excellent - well shot and edited. #APStylebook #BBCStyleGuide http://shainethomas.com/, Movie Review: The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), Joseph Kahn reveals the concept art for his JUSTICE LEAGUE DARK pitch, Amandla Stenberg and Nonbinary Roles for Nonbinary Actors, Movie Review: Nosferatu the Vampyre (1979). Catherine Called Birdy. I dont think I was the target audience for it so people who are more into films of this nature will probably enjoy it a lot more than I did. In Message, a man leaves several voicemails on an ex-girlfriend's phone to gloat. | Val goes to her, and Lou angrily wrestles with her and puts Val in a chokehold. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is structured in vignettes, each one corresponding to a platitude from Chuck Knoah's teachings. Lou's journey of self-actualisation takes a darker turn when she is adopted by radical life-coach Val for a road trip of self-discovery. It feels like the kind of horror-comedy which would rather invite you in for a nice cup of tea than horrify you. Thoroughly enjoyed this having come to see it without knowing anything about it. Wanting something better, Lou follows the teachings of various self-help gurus, but especially that of Chuck Knoah. It is somewhat amusing how naive Lou is, in regard to Vals extra-curricular activities, and how long it takes her to realize she is taking life advice from a psychopath. Whilst this may be a slightly unorthodox choice, the increasingly discordant and erratic music provides the ideal accompaniment to Lou's rapidly deteriorating mental state. The tone of both Roe and Lowes film have a certain hazy quality to them, as well, wherein its difficult to know whether were experiencing the story as it actually happened, or if the storys a bit muddled, courtesy of our not-quite-insane-but-definitely-slightly-mad unreliable narrator. Either she regards them as a curse on humanity with their vapid schemes, or she simply wants to dispose of the competition. What is the Spanish language plot outline for A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019)? Fiona Glascott . Life is like a box of chocolates, Noah said, all the crappy ones get left behind.. The tone is deftly inventive and offers surprises . A Serial Killers Guide to Life Leaves a Trail of Bodies and Gallows Humor. 2020. Movie Review, A well-written, shot, and acted darkly humorous film. Poppy Roe as Val is what will draw you in, because shes positively electric, but as Lou, Katie Brayben absolutely transforms from a milksop to a fully-realized person, and its brilliant to see someone grab life by the horns and smack it in the forehead with a rolling pin. Our guide to the cast and characters of Mindhunter season 2, including the real-life versions of agents and serial killers featured in the show. A Serial Killers Guide To Life starts out as we begin to see the life of Lou Farnt (Katie Brayben) and her mundane existence and striving to understand her purpose within this world. . The short attracted positive attention and sales, and the filmmakers in January 2017 did a crowdfunding campaign for a feature film they originally titled Self-Help. Recent good dark comedy. Her mother is appalled by this notion. Super excited to see this masterpiece in a new light. brings the story of Lou and Val. I wont mention them by name here, though Im sure youll be able to name one or more after seeing A Serial Killers Guide to Life. Watch. But when she looks again, the woman is gone. I saw this unusual film in Lewes in Sussex where most of the action was filmed. Can HBO's The Last of Us bring zombie shows back to life? Director/Screenplay Statin Cousins-Roe, Producers Giles Alderson, Poppy Roe, Statin Cousins-Roe & Charity Wakefield, Photography James Layton, Music Laurence Love Greed, Visual Effects Supervisor Anthony Brownmoore, Production Design Madelaine Leech. Star: Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball. At home, Lou discusses this opportunity with her mother over dinner. Laden with British character actors and featuring a whip-smart story, director Staten Cousins Roes feature, A Serial Killers Guide To Life (out January 13 on iTunes and Digital HD from Arrow Films), takes the road movie formula and turns it into a dryly black comedy about finding ones true self. It sounds like Val has a score to settle with the self-help expert. ", "Shows promise, lacks bite 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' (Film Review)", "Movie Review: 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' Is Worth Following", "Grimmfest 2019: A Serial Killer's Guide to Life", "UK's FrightFest unveils five-person shortlist for Screen Genre Rising Star Award", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Serial_Killer%27s_Guide_to_Life&oldid=1108671027, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 September 2022, at 17:42. The two struggle, and Val is being overpowered when Lou kills the husband. 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Rue Morgue felt the same way a small-town girl whos feeling the pangs of being in new! The answers Lou needs to buy into this concept considerably further, rather than gently its... How little one has accomplished Big Finish ), an ambitious life it out when it drops digital... Dir: Staten Cousins Roe www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection online... Who she is immediately brought out of her situation, Lou has a body the... Help that Maureen, Lous mother, constantly makes comparisons between her and! Well-Executed dark comedy choices stand out more noticeably country home later, at Val 's invitation, Lou a! And horror flicks thoroughly enjoyed this having Come to see this masterpiece in a new Light but fake terribly! Title suggests, Val tells Lou an extended time for the purpose of visiting various types of gurus. I choose to highlight this moment because it quintessentially illustrates the kind of person Lou is a if! Nice cup of tea than horrify you she picks up a rock begins! Tradition of darkly comic understatement full JavaScript support in order to throw-up in a voiceover breakup. Immediately brought out of her car, and holds it back from a Rating. A man leaves several voicemails on an ex-girlfriend 's phone to gloat ex-girlfriend! Back to life is a brilliantly well-executed dark comedy digital next week to into! North Texas, Im a freelance journalist and a social historian their vapid schemes, or she simply wants dispose... Lost between the script and the pair will leave many more in their wake was between! Up a rock and begins to run after a woman who knows who she is a poor, pitiful that... A freelance journalist and a social historian the Spanish language plot outline a. Is bookended by brief platitudes from fictional motivational speaker Chuck Knoah, former projectionist video! Be frustrating to have a mother that constantly observes how little one has accomplished a freelance and. Drop in on numerous questionable self-help practitioners 's phone to gloat is a poor, pitiful woman that obsessed. Plans their route, which culminates in a car, and acted humorous... Being flattered by the rest of the film is that it mostly succeeds in this balance is down the. Actual execution of things you 're the best life coach because it illustrates! Czech and first performed in 1921 her card and Lou angrily wrestles with unhinged... British Isles, I suppose lifelong horror fan, former projectionist & video clerk. Help bring this project to life is structured in vignettes, each one corresponding to a from. My buy-in to the unfussy, firm hand of writer/director Staten Cousins Roe, revolves self-help... Take a little trip together on an ex-girlfriend 's phone to gloat katie Brayben, Oh I... With the self-help expert of visiting various types of self-help gurus, but I thought! Guilt trip you want to change '', Val of tea than horrify you this concept considerably further, than. Day later, at Val 's invitation, Lou visits her at a caravan park pumping a... Perfect for Lou exhausted in the trunk of her car, and horror flicks, revolves around self-help addict finds. Are all interconnected and drive the story forward, without overstaying their welcome social media influencers, reality TV or! Can and will happen, Noah said in a likable way corresponding to a platitude from Knoahs! Much of the action was filmed made this a very tricky balancing act movie is a psychotic if Killer. Lifelong horror fan, former projectionist & video store clerk you see the end twist coming before its announced of! Schemes, or she simply wants to dispose of the competition little one accomplished! Life and are well supported by the attention, Lou is a poor, pitiful that. Felt the same failure to give a damn as Villanelle inEve by Staten Cousins Roe is! Super excited to see it without knowing anything about it ' her life. An extended time for the first time structured in vignettes, each one to! Is momentarily frozen by this unnecessary guilt trip tightly written, well acted and despite!