Kiss or Kill (1997)

82% of critics liked it
(28 reviews)
65% of users liked it
(371 ratings)

Set amidst the eerie desolation of the Australian outback, Kiss or Kill is a superior reworking of vintage film noir materials from the veteran director Bill Bennett. Its lovers-on-the-run story focuses on Nicole (Frances O'Connor) and Al (Matt Day), a pair of petty thieves running a scam targeting… More Set amidst the eerie desolation of the Australian outback, Kiss or Kill is a superior reworking of vintage film noir materials from the veteran director Bill Bennett. Its lovers-on-the-run story focuses on Nicole (Frances O'Connor) and Al (Matt Day), a pair of petty thieves running a scam targeting married businessmen; when one of their victims accidentally dies, they flee his hotel room, absconding with his briefcase. The case contains a videotape of Zipper Doyle (Barry Langrishe), a national soccer hero, molesting a young boy; Nicole and Al soon take off for Perth, intending to blackmail Doyle -- never suspecting that he, as well as the police, are already in hot pursuit. As the two make their way across the country, they leave a trail of dead bodies in their wake; both Nicole and Al begin to suspect that the other is a murderer, and as their journey continues, their paranoia only grows. A similar feeling of mistrust and dread informs virtually every interpersonal relationship in the film, effectively gnawing at our own perceptions and expectations; a stylistically aggressive picture, brimming with jump cuts and inventive camera work, its distinctive take on the noir tradition is fresh and exciting. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Bill Bennett
Written By: Bill Bennett
Genres: Drama, Action & Adventure

In Theaters: Nov 14, 1997 Wide
On DVD: Apr 28, 1998
Studio: Universal Pictures

Critic Reviews

Jack Mathews, Los Angeles Times
Imagine Terrence Malick's Badlands done as black comedy, with the rural atmosphere of Psycho and dialogue rubbed against flint.
Stephen Holden, New York Times
If this scenario sounds like stock film-noir plotting, Bill Bennett ... makes something utterly fresh and, for all its scent of evil, invigorating out of it.
John Hartl, Film.com
In some ways, it's a remarkable recovery for writer-director Bill Bennett, whose much-tampered-with Sandra Bullock vehicle Two If by Sea was almost unwatchable.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
I've seen countless road movies, but this one felt different, as if it had an unbalanced flywheel.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
A cleverly disguised whodunit -- a murder mystery that looks, feels and moves unlike another other murder mystery.
Tom Keogh, Film.com
Really does feel original and authentically creepy.
Clint Morris, Moviehole
One of the best thrillers Australia's produced
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
inventive road movie
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Makes what is familiar seem fresh.
Dan Lybarger, Nitrate Online
A clever and lively entry from Australia than introduced the world to Frances O'Connor (A.I.).
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A fresh and fast paced Australian drama about the mystery that resides in all people.