MARMALADE -- Joe Keery Lays it on Thick in Romantic Crime Drama

Review by Cole Groth

Fans of Joe Keery will remember his ridiculous turn as a murderous streamer in Spree a few years ago. To those who enjoyed that, you'll be interested in his equally wild character in Marmalade. There's plenty of romance, crime, and drama in this twisty heist film, but the twist ending is ultimately too confusing and undermines the sweeping story set up by the first two acts.

Marmalade follows Baron (Keery), who's recently been imprisoned. He recounts his life story to his cellmate Otis (Aldis Hodge). Most of the film is one big flashback, showing us Baron's romantic connection with Marmalade (Camile Morrone), a free-spirited woman with a mean streak who convinces Baron to turn to a life of crime to save his mother. Throughout the film, we learn that Otis might have a vested interest in Baron and Marmalade's story.

Keery is pretty good in the film. He lays down this corny southern accent but overall feels authentic as the affably dumb hopeless romantic suckered into a life of crime. Hodge also lays it on thick, sounding like a generic black guy from the hood written by an out-of-touch writer. However, like with Keery's accent, this is explained away as being intentionally ridiculous. Morrone is pretty brilliant, too. She's this great combination of intensity and cunning who's a consistently great presence on screen.

Although the big twists at the end can be fun, they leave the film with zero rewatchability. When the first 70 minutes of a 100-minute-long movie are undermined by a twist, it makes the whole experience feel like a waste of time. This sort of twist would work much better in a TV show, and there were times when I was just hoping the film would be longer to allow the final act to breathe. It just feels like a corny twist that would've been better off on the cutting room floor.

There's some interesting commentary on the pharmaceutical industry and how evil its price-gouging practices are. It feels lost in the grand scheme of things but gives the movie some much-needed depth. It's a shame that it only gets tackled in depth toward the ending because it's confusing to listen to a bunch of ham-fisted lines about why greedy pharmaceutical CEOs are ruining America after car chases, bank robberies, and complicated FBI plans to take Baron down.

Marmalade needs polish on its script. It's torn between being an occasionally funny satire on modern American country living and a wild crime thriller full of twists and turns. While the twist leading into the third act is too stupid to be forgotten, it's made up for by a nicely satisfying ending. It's interesting, to be sure, but too muddled to be a truly good crime/thriller.

Marmalade releases in theaters and on VOD starting February 9.

Rating: 3/5