Killer Heat

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1:54

Killer Heat

R

2024

1h 36m

Crime

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

Romance

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

18%

Tomatometer

28 Reviews

29%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

A thrilling, contemporary mystery in classic noir style, Killer Heat follows private eye Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an American expat in Greece, hired to investigate the supposed accidental death of young shipping magnate Leo Vardakis (Richard Madden) on the island of Crete. The victim's sister-in-law (Shailene Woodley) doesn't believe the official police report. But what exactly happened to Leo, and why? Despite the sun-drenched beauty of its exotic Mediterranean locale, Nick finds darkness at every turn: where the rich and powerful Vardakis family rule like gods, where jealousies run deep, and anyone could be a suspect.

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Critics Consensus

A modern noir utterly lacking in intrigue, Killer Heat is disappointingly lukewarm.

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Craig Mathieson

The Age (Australia)

10/03/2024

Adapted from a short story by Jo Nesbo, this sun-drenched Mediterranean noir pushes hard-boiled menace and private eye diffidence to a tiring degree, but it lacks for a decent plot and even a hint of intrigue.

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Owen Gleiberman

Variety

10/01/2024

The director, Philippe Lacôte, does an okay job of unfurling the story, yet somehow it all lacks… heat. Maybe that’s because he wants the dots he’s connecting to be sentimental.

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Benjamin Lee

Guardian

09/26/2024

1/5

Killer Heat will not go down as the worst Nesbø adaptation out there but it will definitely be the most forgettable.

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Matthew Koss

The Wandering Screen (YouTube)

Aug 16

D

Shailene Woodley is a highlight, and it’s a shame she didn’t get more screen time at the expense of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s uninspired detective, Nick Bali, who should sooner be in therapy than on our screens.

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

11/19/2024

C

Sluggish noir thriller.

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David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

10/23/2024

2.5/4

...familiar subject matter that’s employed to watchable yet entirely forgettable effect...

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Darrell S

@RT37459315 Mar 11

Starts out good, but ends to early and the finale ends on a whimper.

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Frans B

@FransB Jan 11

Lukewarm just about sums it up. Cast not convincing in character or perhaps it's been written in a wooden manner? Nothing seems to get up to speed and plot is filled with voids. Nothing noteworthy to report here ...

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Pedro Henrique C

@Pedro2005 Jan 5

Killer Heat (2024) A thriller that goes round and round without finding anything good, the script is terrible, and it ends with a weak twist.

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Jay Q

@RT45112569 Dec 27

I tried to watch but I'm not a fan of Shailene Woodley.

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Scott W

@RT19570288 07/09/2025

Meh. Enjoyable cast. The effort to make it noir is commendable but the execution is poor. Crete is lovely but a bit sunny for the noir tone. I correctly predicted the big twist reveal in the opening scenes.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown 04/15/2025

The parallel marriage story lines doesn't work - but the whodunnit of the free solo death is entertaining. Make it twins, to boot.

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Killer Heat: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A thrilling, contemporary mystery in classic noir style, Killer Heat follows private eye Nick Bali (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), an American expat in Greece, hired to investigate the supposed accidental death of young shipping magnate Leo Vardakis (Richard Madden) on the island of Crete. The victim's sister-in-law (Shailene Woodley) doesn't believe the official police report. But what exactly happened to Leo, and why? Despite the sun-drenched beauty of its exotic Mediterranean locale, Nick finds darkness at every turn: where the rich and powerful Vardakis family rule like gods, where jealousies run deep, and anyone could be a suspect.

Director: Philippe Lacôte
Producer: Brad Weston
Screenwriter: Matt Charman, Roberto Bentivegna
Distributor: Prime Video
Production Co: Amazon Studios, Makeready, Faliro House Productions
Rating: R
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery & Thriller, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 26, 2024
Runtime: 1h 36m