‘Marmalade’ Review – A Fast-Paced Romantic Crime Thriller

Marmalade, writer-director Keir O’Donnell’s debut from behind the camera, is a kinetic force that meshes a crime thriller with romance in excitingly unique ways. The film stars Joe Keery as Baron, Aldis Hodge as Otis, and Camila Morrone as the titular Marmalade. This tale begins as Baron finds himself in a prison cell and recounts the story to Otis of how he ended up there and met his girlfriend. Told in flashbacks, Baron’s detailed account of how Marmalade comes into his life and quickly sucks him into a plan to rob a local bank leads to unexpected twists and turns that keep the audience on the edge of their seat.

O’Donnell’s script is witty and fast-paced and full of humor and genuinely romantic moments between Baron and Marmalade. Before Marmalade busts her way into his life, Baron has a mediocre existence in a small town trying to make enough money to keep buying increasingly expensive medicine to keep his ailing mother alive. He’s just lost his job at the post office for the unthinkable sin of not cutting his hair and is sulking in the park when Marmalade explodes onto the scene loudly in every sense of the word. Her outfit, pink hair, and booming music coming from her blue convertible make it impossible for Baron, and the audience, to look away. 

Marmalade’s infectious personality is portrayed in an emphatic performance by Camila Morrone that makes it easy to understand how Baron became instantly infatuated with her. Morrone switches from loving to erratic behavior in an instant, reminiscent of Mia Goth’s intense tonal shifts in Infinity Pool and Pearl. She’s just the type of exhilarating loose canon that any guy could fall in love with. Marmalade’s outfits are extravagant with an eye-catching palette that makes her stand out compared to the rest of the town folk that Baron is used to. Despite Morrone’s powerhouse performance, Joe Keery steals the show as Baron. He brings Baron to life in a special way and is incredibly believable as a man who will do unthinkable things in pursuit of his love for Marmalade. It should also be mentioned that the wig that Keery has on in the film is outrageously effective at making him look ridiculous, which is no small task. 

One of the underlying threads of this movie is how much it takes for someone like Baron to go off and rob a bank, even if part of it is for the love of his life. The ability for pharmaceutical companies to hike up prices to whatever they feel like affects people in real ways, especially in more rural areas. Baron is just trying to help his mother stay alive, and who can blame him? Obviously, there are better routes to go down than becoming a criminal, but one can see all the factors that pushed him to this point. This human element of Baron and his mother effectively cuts through the noise of the rest of the film and has some things to say about this predicament we see time and again across rural America. 

Polly Morgan’s cinematography is another highlight of Marmalade. The way she shoots the small town that Baron is from is almost dreamlike and fantastical, revealing the beauty in the mundanity of small-town America. Her use of lighting brings out incredible colors throughout the film as well. The contrast between the colorful flashbacks to the drab gray that permeates the prison scenes is staggering and helps set the tone for each sequence. There are some delightful shots and sequences that make the film worth watching all on their own. Morgan’s camera work combined with Stewart Reeves’ editing and O’Donnell’s script helps foster an expeditious pace that doesn’t let up. Marmalade’s story moves so fast it’s almost hard to keep up with each new element and reveal. Each twist and turn is earned and feels right for the narrative. Effective performances from Keery, Morrone, and Hodge only elevate the tremendous work behind the camera and make this film a memorable thriller.

Marmalade is currently playing in select theaters and On Demand courtesy of Brainstorm Media and Signature Entertainment.

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