A Kiss Before Dying – Movie Review
Director: James Dearden
Writer: James Dearden (Screenplay)
Writer: Ira Levin (Novel)
Cast
- Matt Dillon (Wild Things)
- Sean Young (Blade Runner)
- Martha Gehman (Practical Magic)
- Max von Sydow (Minority Report)
Plot: Jonathan Corliss murders his girlfriend Dorothy and moves onto her twin sister Ellen who grows suspicious of her new lover as he charms his way into their family and impresses their father Thor Carlsson. Based on Ira Levin’s novel.
Runtime: 1 Hour 34 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Story: A Kiss Before Dying starts when Dorothy (Young) is murdered by her boyfriend Jonathan (Dillon). The police considered it suicide and closed the case. Meanwhile, her twin sister Ellen (Young) wants to learn more about what happened and starts investigating.
In the aftermath, Jonathan sets his sights on Ellen, and the two get married and start a new life together. However, Ellen still has questions about her sister and the marriage starts spiralling out of control.
Verdict on A Kiss Before Dying
A Kiss Before Dying is a crime thriller following a sister investigating her twin’s death, only to fall in love with the man who murdered her. However, she doesn’t know this, and her new perfect life starts unravelling once she investigates more.
This movie is a thriller with one of the more interesting ideas behind the crime. It lets us know early what sort of threat Jonathan is and leaves us wondering what his bigger plan is. This keeps us guessing and feels uncomfortable to watch as you know what he did. However, it does lack something to make it standout on the same level as other at the same time.
Final Thoughts – A Kiss Before Dying is a creepy thriller which is more uncomfortable in places.
