In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s the darkly comic indie thriller Hell Hath No Fury (2023) from director Zachary Burns and screenwriter Jacob Leighton Burns.
Synopsis
Silas Brewster (Jacob Ryan Snovel) and his wife Priscilla (Leah N.H. Philpott) separately and unknowingly plot to murder each other on the same fateful night.
The Good
Joseph: Lust! Murder! Scenery chewing! Hell Hath No Fury offers all of this and more in a fun neo-noir comedy. Snovel and Philpott are obviously having a blast in their roles and they are assisted by solid turns from the film’s supporting cast members. The acting is on the over-the-top theatrical side, and althoughHell Hath No Fury could be adapted easily into a stage production, the main setting in the Bewster’s home never feels claustrophobic thanks to the action taking place in several rooms. Jacob Leighton Burns’ clever screenplay serves up some nice twists on the old let’s-kill-my-spouse-and-be-together chestnut, and Zachary Burns helms the proceedings with aplomb. Any budgetary limitations are easily overcome thanks to impressive costume and set designs, along with imaginative framing.
Mike: While the “we’ll kill my husband/wife and finally be together” story is far from being original, Zachary Burns manages to give Hell Hath No Fury an engaging and fresh feeling spin on it by taking what is generally a dark plot and infusing it with a breezy yet darkly humorous flavor. Philpott and Snovel are both effective as the ill-fated wife and husband with both bringing an equal amount of zest to their roles. Philpott especially manages to imbue Priscilla with an entertaining depth of physical and facial manifestations of her moods and emotions. While Hell Hath No Fury was clearly filmed with a limited budget and the action is limited to just a couple of rooms making it seem to be tailored for a play, it never shows thanks to Burns, who does a good job with his framing and blocking to get the most of the spaces.
The Bad
Joseph: I don’t really have any negative thoughts about the film. That said, the comically exaggerated acting style may not be some viewers’ cup of tea.
Mike: Apparently Burns took the stage production feel of things a bit too seriously and encouraged Philpott and Snovel to act as if they WERE on a stage. Exaggerated performances by the leads while the supporting cast are more subdued may have been on purpose and meant to serve as some type of device to make Priscilla and Silas overly bombastic, but for me it merely wound up making them a bit grating and took me out of the proceedings. While maybe not in line with Burns’ vision, I felt like more straightly-played, deadpan characters would have made this a bit more enjoyable.
The Verdict
Joseph: Hell Hath No Fury is a slick, amusing dark-comedy thriller that riffs well on film noir tropes. It offers lots of delightful surprises and is an enjoyable showcase of talent on both sides of the camera.
Mike: Played a bit more over-the-top than some people may enjoy, Burns manages to nonetheless make Hell Hath No Fury a fresh feeling take on a familiar plot, helped in no small part by the performances of all involved, most notably Leah N.H. Philpott who plays her role of the unfaithful Priscilla with exuberance.
Hell Hath No Fury screens as part of Chattanooga Film Festival, which runs June 23–29, 2023, in person and with a virtual version. For more information, visit https://www.chattfilmfest.org/.
Hell Hath No Fury
Directed By: Zachary Burns
Written By: Jacob Leighton Burns
Starring: Jacob Ryan Snovel, Leah N.H. Philpott
Run Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
Rating: NR
Release Date: May 2023