Kill Me Three Times (Kriv Stenders, 2014): USA | Australia

Reviewed by Shelby Harris at the Santa Barbara Film Festival 2015.

Kill Me Three Times  directed by Kriv Stenders is an comedic thriller, that innterconnects three stories based off blackmail, revenge, murder and love. Based in a small surfing town in Australia, Simon Pegg is cast as the dark, heartless, energetic assassin. He is also know for his main role in Shaun of the Dead (2004). The film commences with a beautiful scenic areal shot off the Australian coast, with a James Bond and stereotypical surf infused soundtrack. Pegg’s character opens with a voice over narration explaining the complications of being a hit man, as the story unfolds the audience experiences a storm of unsuccessful events in unchronological order of attempted murder. Scences jump around from each characters point of view as the lives of the six local Aussies intertwine. The audience starts off in confusion but soon everything plays out as we learn about each characters relation to one another and the root of their desired blood shed. Never missing a minute of laughter the film keeps the audience engaged and questioning who’s side to cheer for.

Comparable to the Big Bounce (2004) both settings takes place in a beautiful local beach towns with characters struggling to fight for their lives over blackmail, money and revenge. Kill Me Three Times is an exaggerated comedy told through acting, Pegg’s character is a mercurial British assassin who gets caught in the middle of three tales of murder and revenge, throughout the film Pegg’s unpredictable character with a dark sense of humor makes the audience laugh at all his actions that would normally be viewed as cruel and unforgiving, he lightens the theater with laughter.

Real issues are addressed in the film as well, such as failing marriage, cheating, greed, alcoholism, gambling, and jealousy. All these real world problems are exposed through a comical sense and the problems are solved through violence and death, while each character keeps getting caught up in a sequence of bad timing. As the film beings to conclude the truth slowly unfolds, with a must see twisted and unpredictable finale.