Often, just being a teenager doesn’t appear to involve enough drama to fill an entire cinematic release (Lady Bird notwithstanding). So filmmakers opt to add tragic illnesses to the mix, in releases like A Walk To Remember and The Fault In Our Stars. Writer-director Kellan Moore’s upcoming debut long-form release offers a twist on the classic “teens with ailments” trope: In Looks That Kill, the admittedly handsome Brandon Flynn (13 Reasons Why) plays Max, who is so attractive that people drop dead just from looking at him. Welp, that’s a new one.
To prevent the dead bodies from piling up around him, Max bandages his face and adds sunglasses, looking just like the Invisible Man. Eventually his loneliness leads him to ponder jumping off a bridge, only to be interrupted by the also very attractive Julia Goldani Telles (The Affair, Bunheads), who cheekily tells him he needs to find a taller jumping-off point. Sure, manic pixie dream girl, that’s just what this guy needs. Things then appear to progress as you’d imagine, with Max gradually peeling off bandages in an attempt to get closer to his new girlfriend just short of killing her. In case you’re unclear on the concept (doubtful), there’s also a pointed shot of a street sign for New Beginnings Avenue. Nevertheless, we’ll see how Max’s odd plight plays out when the movie debuts on VOD on Friday, June 19.