The Killing of Two Lovers is an 2021 drama film, written, directed, produced, and edited by Robert Machoian. The film tells the story of a man named David who desperately tries to keep his family of six together during a separation from his wife, Niki. They both agree to see other people but David struggles to grapple with his wife's new relationship.
The cast includes Clayne Crawford, Sepideh Moafi, Chris Coy, Avery Pizzuto, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, Avery Pizzuto, Jonah Graham, and Bruce Graham
The Killing of Two Lovers had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 27,th 2020. It received a limited release on May 14th, 2021, courtesy of Neon.
THE GOOD
The Killing of Two Lovers was on my radar prior to its initial limited release on May 14th. I knew right away it was a film I would appreciate so I kept my eyes peeled for it to get a streaming release. Well that day has come as it is now available on Hulu, so I made sure to watch it right away and more than anything else, this is a powerful film. The Killing of Two Lovers sets the tone within the first five minutes, and by then you will be able to tell if it is for you or not. I mean, it is intense from the start, and right down to the 4:3 ratio that you will be watching it in you can tell this is going to be a movie that will hit hard.
The film focuses on one of the most complex issues within our society today, which is of course that of relationships and family dynamics. Writer Robert Machoian isn’t concerned with catering to the audience and setting the stage for an easy to understand story. He throws us right into the fire, and forces us to figure things out along the way. I was on the edge of my seat from the first scene, and I could feel the emotion and despair oozing from the screen. Not only will you feel bad for David, you will relate to him in one way or another as we have all been in his position in some form or fashion, although hopefully not to the same extent.
You get to see how David is with his kids, and how those within his community go out of their way to say hello in the local store or around town, and I personally felt like I really got to know him and that was huge for me. I really enjoyed seeing how important family was to him. He desperately wants to keep his family intact, but is teetering on the edge of making a decision out of anger that could ruin his life. By the end I just wanted things to work out in his favor, and in many ways I felt as helpless as he did. Life is hard, raising kids is hard, raising four kids and trying to salvage a marriage is downright brutal. But, sometimes that is the card you are dealt and you just have to roll with the punches and do what you can try and make things work. His wife Niki is not portrayed as the villain either, which is a testament to the quality writing.
I thought the acting was great from everyone, but I really loved Clayne Crawford as David. A hard working actor who has done a ton of TV work, Crawford is able to display a variety of complex emotions seamlessly throughout the film and is the primary reason why it all comes together and works so well. Many of the scenes are just close up shots of him, and just his face is able to tell the story and keep things moving along. Veteran actor Chris Coy was great in his role as the man David’s wife starts seeing, and I felt like he added a ton of value to the film. Coy had a brief stint in the hit series The Walking Dead. I also feel it is necessary to give a shout out to the kids, played by Avery Pizzuto, Arri Graham, Ezra Graham, and Jonah Graham. They all did a great job. I also really enjoyed Bruce Graham in his role as David’s father. All three kids are definitely siblings in real life which is pretty cool if you ask me, and I assume Bruce is the grandfather, but Google let me down when I was trying to confirm or deny that.
On the technical side of things, The Killing of Two Lovers charts its own course. What I mean by that is it relies on the performances, cinematography, and sound editing more than anything else. The film has no soundtrack whatsoever, and you won’t even hear any music playing during the many truck rides during the film. You will encounter plenty of silence and just pure well intentioned dialogue that moves the storyline along. The sound editing is amazing, as during some of the scenes where David’s emotions and anger are ready to boil over, you feel like you are in his head as the “ringing in his ears” takes over and you can’t hear anything being said in the background. I felt like this was a nice touch and helped to make David that much more relatable especially considering the different emotions he was forced to try and deal with. The Killing of Two Lovers is also designed to feel claustrophobic as far as David’s anxieties and struggles relating to his broken marriage, so the setting in the beautiful yet tiny and isolated town of Kenosh, Utah, is just perfect.
After what is admittedly a small sample size, I am extremely impressed with director/writer/editor Robert Machoian. His camera work for The Killing of Two Lovers is nothing short of exceptional. He makes you feel like you are a part of each scene. Certainly far from a household name, this guy is talented. Looking at his filmography he seems perfectly content focusing on smaller scale art house type films and I understand why. When you watch a movie and a signature style from a director/writer stays with you the way it did for me with The Killing of Two Lovers, you can’t help but appreciate it. His style is raw and genuine, and more than anything else it feels unique. You can tell that this is a movie he is proud of. I look forward to seeing more of his work in the future.
THE BAD
Bottom line, The Killing of Two Lovers is not for everyone. This is very much an art house type film that requires investment from viewers to be appreciated. It doesn’t include any explosions or awesome fight scenes, just beautiful cinematography and great acting. One person could watch this movie and absolutely love it, and someone else could turn it off five minutes in and say it was garbage just because it is filmed differently. But at the end of the day, filmmaking is an art form and its not designed to please everyone. You can say you didn’t enjoy The Killing of Two Lovers, but you can’t say it is a bad movie.
THE VERDICT
A beautifully shot and emotionally powerful journey you won’t soon forget, The Killing of Two Lovers is a raw and intimate portrayal of the complexities of marriage and family. Bottom line, if it doesn’t leave a mark on you by the end you weren’t paying attention. I mean sure this will undoubtedly appeal to the indie film crowd, but I say step out of your comfort zone and give this one a try. You won’t regret it.
TED TAKES RATING - 8.5/10
The Killing of Two Lovers is now streaming on Hulu. Watch the official trailer below.