Grade: C-
Synopsis: A boxer falls for his neighbor, then runs afoul of her boss.
Killer’s Kiss is a technically solid, but ultimately underwhelming film from Stanley Kubrick.
With practically no budget, Kubrick had to rely on guerrilla filmmaking techniques, such as using pickup trucks for dollies and shooting without permits, but the result is a visually arresting film that does a fantastic job capturing the atmosphere of 1950’s New York. Technical problems forced Kubrick to record all the dialog and sound effects in post-production, yet the sound editing is superb, especially during the fight scenes, which have a surprisingly genuine ferocity to them. Unfortunately, Kubrick’s technical achievements are undone by a flimsy story and a weak cast.
Even with a running time of only 67 minutes, Killer’s Kiss feels stretched. The cast’s lack of charisma and the non-existent chemistry between leads Frank Silvera and Irene Kane only serves to magnify this flaw. Much like Kubrick’s follow-up The Killing (1956), the real star here is Kubrick’s visual style and innovate direction.
Bottom Line: With a deeper script and someone like Kirk Douglas in the lead, Killer’s Kiss could have been something special, but instead it’s for Kubrick aficionados only.
