Movie Reviews

‘Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break’ SXSW Online 2021 Review – A Surprisingly Heartwarming Tale Of Revenge

By Dillon Gonzales
March 17, 2021
No Comments

For better or for worse, social media is here to stay. As each new generation comes along, the belief that fame and fortune is just beyond their reach grows greater and greater. Paul Dood (Tom Meeten, The Ghoul) is not immune to such aspirations. This slightly delusional forty-something charity-shop worker has been attempting to play the game of fame by documenting his life on popular social media platform Trend Ladder. Despite his low engagement, Paul remains in good spirits as he live streams his training to appear on his favorite national talent competition show. Unfortunately for Paul, all of his months of perfecting his song and dance routine amount to nothing when the carelessness of numerous individuals prevent him from getting to the audition on time to perform for his idol, Jack Tapp (Kevin Bishop). This huge disappointment coupled with a heartbreaking personal tragedy sends Paul off on a path of revenge that will be littered with bodies.

This second feature film from director Nick Gillespie is not actually as dark as it sounds. It is interesting to contrast this with a film such as last year’s absurdly dark critique of social media culture, Spree. Both films feature protagonists who set out to rack up a body count while live streaming to a captivated audience, but Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break is decidedly less interested in condemning social media culture. Instead, social media is used as a lens to document how grief manifests itself in this particular individual as he stands up for what he believes to be right.

From the opening moments of the film, Paul is shown to be a larger than life character who either does not recognize or does not care how pathetic certain people in the world view him to be. He slides into his sparkly jumpsuit without hesitation and thrusts about his house which he shares with his supportive invalid mother. Meeten imbues Paul with an underlying sweetness beneath the desperation. Even if the cringeworthy nature of this character does not strike you as sympathetic at first, you will find yourself strangely moved by the twists and turns of his journey. Paul is not a psychopath looking to kill people indiscriminately to create content for his social channel. He is a broken individual who has reached the lowest point in his life, and vengeance seems like the right path to embark upon – especially after a wickedly hilarious interaction with his out-of-her-depth manager who happens to have a certificate to practice psychotherapy.

The deadly nature of the film promised in the title plays out in increasingly outlandish and unexpected ways. Paul is a big personality, but those whom he seeks revenge upon often have a way of making him seem downright ordinary. A train platform operator, a Japanese tea shop proprietor and an unscrupulous priest are just a few of the individuals with targets on their backs. Each prickly individual has their own humorous quirks, and their deaths are more or less celebrated by the ever-increasing audience of his live stream. The “murder spree” is the the hook for the story, but this is more a tale of social validation and coming to terms with your grief.

A lot of the humor in this film comes from being uncomfortable; Paul Dood is not exactly a laugh-riot, but it has a bizarre wavelength that is enjoyable if you are able to lock into it. As dark as the subject matter is, the film has a very warm and gentle energy flowing through it. This is in no small part due to the timid, unassuming Clemmie (Katherine Parkinson, The IT Crowd), a janitorial worker at the mall who works alongside Paul. Clemmie is the only person besides Paul’s mom who thinks he is truly amazing. Parkinson is a quiet force in this minor but important role, as she solidifies the heart of the film while garnering some of the largest laughs. There is a twisted, complicated side to Clemmie that is doled out at the perfect rate.

In the end, Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break is an optimistic tale that leans into the absurdity of the entire situation. More cynical types may be quick to pick apart various aspects of the film – it is not perfect – but overall it is a really fun and oddly heartwarming journey. Those who come to this movie expecting a comedic John Wick will be sorely disappointed, even if there are some deaths in this film that are wondrously brutal. This is simply a well-acted, darkly comedic odyssey for these bleak times.

Paul Dood’s Deadly Lunch Break had its World Premiere in the Narrative Spotlight section of SXSW Online 2021.

Director: Nick Gillespie

Writer: Brook Driver, Matt White & Nick Gillespie

Rated: NR

Runtime: 95m

Rating: 3 out of 5