‘The Shallow Tale Of A Writer Who Decided To Write About A Serial Killer’ Review – This New Comedy Of Errors Never Lives Up To Its Inspired Premise [Tribeca 2024]

In preparing for this year’s Tribeca Festival experience, it was impossible to deny that one film stood out amongst the rest. I mean, how could it not? The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer – rarely has a title inspired such instant curiosity and excitement. Its word count (14!!) alone would make even casual onlookers raise an eyebrow, but the actual content of the words promised something deeper than shock value. Nobody titles their film with a phrase so outrageous, so indulgent, so cheeky just to grab your attention. Even a premise as original as this one could be summarized in something more concise. The title, in effect, makes a promise. Whatever this film is going to be, it is going to be something wholly original, something so unabashedly itself that you are either going to fall under its spell immediately or simply be dumbfounded for its entire running time. Amidst the drudgery of the film festival experience, nothing is more exciting than something memorable.

From its opening minutes, Tolga Karaçelik’s new comedy of errors (which, for the purposes of this review, will be referred to as Shallow Tale) already lives up to its promise. Following a montage of blatant foreshadowing, star John Magaro narrates a black-and-white vignette set in 40,000 B.C.. A humble Neanderthal sits in a cavernous hideaway, that is until we smash cut to the film’s title, which continues to smash cut word by word, impact sound effect by impact sound effect, onto the screen in messy black typography against a solid white background. Such an inciting, provocative opening would have you believe the remaining film follows suit. However, as the actual first scene of Shallow Tale plays out – an awkward dinner party that introduces us to Magaro as Keane, a pretentious writer struggling to finish his sophomore novel about a romance between a homo sapien woman and the last male Neanderthal in ancient Slovenia – Karaçelik’s direction introduces itself as visually dry and exceedingly deadpan. Suddenly, the film’s opening energy feels like an afterthought, a mountainous heartbeat on an otherwise flatline heart monitor.

This pattern of stalled momentum follows the film as more is revealed. Keane’s wife, interior designer Suzie (Britt Lower, whose deliciously dry turn is so brilliant that it far exceeds this film’s ambitions), is sick of playing breadwinner amidst Keane’s months-long writer’s block and wants a divorce. Around the same time, Keane meets Kollmick (Steve Buscemi, playing it straight like never before), a retired serial killer who suggests he write a book based on his life and with his consultation. Keane is reluctant for obvious reasons, however – before the film can even begin excavating the comedic possibilities – a drunken invitation to discuss more at his home leads to Suzie meeting Kollmick. Afraid to reveal the circumstances behind his presence, Keane tricks Suzie into believing Kollmick is actually a marriage counselor he hired to help them reconnect. Kollmick, much to his chagrin, plays into the charade and ultimately convinces Suzie to take part, with Keane promising to go through with a serial killer story in exchange for his “services.”

So, we certainly have something “memorable” here, but not because of how Shallow Tale fulfills its potential, but because of how quickly it undermines it. From the jump, Karaçelik’s screenplay takes his farcical take on a “true crime” story and muddles it with a disparate farce about marital squabbles. They’re both unique ideas, however neither complements the appeal of the other nor engages with the same tone. Keane and Kollmick’s research for the book plays out as a darker take on the straight man/funny man trope, with Magaro’s meek, weaselly energy contrasting well to Buscemi’s absurdly matter-of-fact straight man. It’s purely comedic and rightfully so. Meanwhile, the film’s couple’s therapy scenes introduce Suzie as the straight man, while Keane and Kollmick attempt to make some sense out of the arrangement. Kollmick’s unorthodox (read: unqualified) approach to couple’s therapy makes for plenty of solid patter, however, the shtick’s greater value is that it actually merits compelling drama. Each scene shows a more sensitive side to both Suzie and Keane, recalling how they met and why they fell in love.

These moments glean an entirely different movie – not necessarily a bad one, but one that is far too nuanced to warrant its integration into an otherwise straightforward, high-concept comedy. However, by this point, it’s too late, as the film has committed to its messy tonal puzzle box and it only gets harder and harder to read the further it pulls on its own thread. Suzie begins eavesdropping on Keane and, not knowing his ulterior motives, suspects he is trying to kill her. One of the film’s best sequences sees Suzie attempt to avoid eating a meal Keane has graciously cooked for her – her favorite dish – thinking it is poisoned. This sequence displays the kind of cathartic hilarity that fulfills Karaçelik’s promising title, however, it is merely followed by her spying on Keane and Kollmick in scenes played like a boring noir. Similarly, Keane and Kollmick’s Abbott and Costello routine rarely culminates in satisfying physical comedy. Watching Magaro and Buscemi shuffle around with a bodybag or flail around in a getaway car is ripe with comic potential, yet the film’s grounded tone and flareless cinematography siphons any comedic heights it could reach.

The third act sees everything come to a head in an exhaustively slow burn and, though it contains many surprises, it only minimally satisfies the title’s suggested premise. In fact, Shallow Tale’s commitment to acting on its own twists and turns may distract you from the fact that it barely explores its original premise to begin with (for a movie about a writer, few words are ever put to a page). Perhaps Karaçelik did this intentionally, writing a story so committed to its character’s own follies that the original point is all but lost amidst the antics. If so, his cast are all so immensely talented that it’s worth the ride on face value. However, it’s impossible to not find a tragic irony in Shallow Tale being a rather shallow tale, living up to its title in the exact opposite way film fans were hoping for.

The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write about a Serial Killer held its World Premiere as a part of the Spotlight Narrative section of the 2024 Tribeca Festival. It is currently seeking distribution.

Director: Tolga Karacelik

Screenwriter: Tolga Karacelik

Rated: NR

Runtime: 102m