Review: ‘Kill Me If You Dare’ on Netflix – A Polish Comedy Depicting Spouses’ Hilarious Attempts to Eliminate Each Other
In “Kill Me If You Dare,” a Polish comedy currently streaming on Netflix, audiences are treated to a humorous and twisted tale of a couple’s attempts to murder each other. The film, which is a remake of a 2019 Turkish dark comedy, centers around Piotr and Natalia, a couple trapped in a curdled marriage that has lost its spark.
The movie starts with a romantic gesture as Piotr runs to catch up with Natalia at a train platform to propose. However, five years later, the honeymoon phase is long gone. Piotr is portrayed as an emotionally tone-deaf cheapskate who buys Natalia an iron for their anniversary and takes her to a food court for a lackluster meal. Natalia, on the other hand, appears cold and hard to please, lacking any defining characteristics or personality.
Both Piotr and Natalia have jobs that add additional layers of complexity to their already troubled relationship. Natalia works in advertising alongside her best friend Agata, who is portrayed as “wacky” with an eccentric fashion sense. Piotr, on the other hand, has his ex-girlfriend Dagmara as his boss, which creates tension due to her lingering feelings for him.
The plot takes an interesting turn when the couple wins a lottery jackpot of five million smackers. However, rather than solving their marital issues, the money only complicates their lives further. This sets the stage for the perfect storm of an anti-romantic comedy, with Piotr and Natalia’s wacky best friends suggesting lethal activities at a fancy spa-resort that could lead to “accidents.” This leads to a series of comedic scenes involving murder plots and schemes.
While the premise of the film holds promise for a darkly comedic exploration of marital discontent, “Kill Me If You Dare” falls short in execution. The script is uninspired and lacks wit, the characters are shallow and underdeveloped, and the performances feel passionless and lack chemistry. As a result, the audience is left uninvested in the outcome of the couple’s schemes and uninterested in their eventual rediscovery of love.
Director Filip Zylber’s approach to the film feels haphazard, with episodic clichés thrown together without coherence or satisfying results. The tonal balance between sitcom and satire is muddled, leaving the film feeling bland and forgettable. Lead actors Mateusz Banasiuk and Weronika Ksiazkiewicz appear disinterested in their roles, further contributing to the lackluster nature of the film.
In conclusion, “Kill Me If You Dare” fails to deliver on its potential as a dark comedy exploring marital discontent. The lackluster script, shallow characters, and uninspired performances make it difficult to invest in the story or find humor in the couple’s attempts to eliminate each other. As a result, I would recommend skipping this film unless you have a high tolerance for lackluster comedies.
Overall Rating: 2/5 stars.
