'High Heat' review: Kinetic Mayhem and Dark Comedy make a satisfying B-movie goulash

"High Heat" is a hoot. While it might seem in the synopsis like standard genre fare suitable for quick consumption on digital and streaming platforms, this satisfying mix of crime thriller and dark comedy plays almost like a wink and a wink. eye of such a time-killing cookie cutter. Indeed, director Zach Golden and screenwriter James Pedersen go so far as to deliberately point out the telltale sign of a low-budget indie production — nearly all of the action takes place in just two sets, a restaurant and a parking lot. — while mixing clichés and conventions. with self-aware wit and sass in a fast-paced ensemble. Best of all, it seems like everyone onscreen has been made aware of the joke, but no one takes that knowledge as license to break character or even break down the fourth wall.

The film engages right from the start, with composer Max Di Carlo's energetic opening theme highlighting a colorful retro credits sequence (from Danny Oakley and Out of Our Minds Studios) that actually makes it bearable to sit through an endless list of executive producers. From there, we're plunged into the chaos of the barely-controlled kitchen on opening night at Etoile Rouge, where head chef and co-owner Ana Abramov (Olga Kurylenko) issues orders with full authority (but a little less abrasiveness) of Gordon Ramsey. In front, diners are greeted with dazzling smiles, cheerful charm and a hearty "Bon appétit!" by Ana's husband and partner, Ray, played by Don Johnson in silver fox mode.

The grand opening is on track to be a resounding success until Mick arrives (Ivan Martin), the underachieving and overcompensating son of Dom (Dallas Page), a mobster who invested in Ray's early restaurant ventures, none of which turned a profit. This time around, Dom has hatched a plot to ensure a quick return on the $1.3 million he loaned Ray to finance the Red Star, i.e. burn the place down for the night. insurance money.

Naturally, Ray didn't say anything about his demanding investor to Ana — who, oddly enough, didn't. it seems she never asked her husband where he got the start-up money to fulfill his long-cherished dream of opening a world-class restaurant. Then again, every husband and wife hides secrets, right? It turns out that Ana has a rather handy skeleton in her closet: she's a retired KGB agent trained to inflict grievous bodily harm with everything from automatic weapons to handfuls of celery sticks. Mick and Don have a vantage point in a parking lot across the street; the more underlings they send to commit arson and worse at the Red Star, the higher the body count.

Reassure yourself though: there are several good laughs between (and, quite often, during) the bursts of rough stuff. Dom makes little secret of his deep disappointment in his son – “It wasn't supposed to be hard, Mick! That's why I sent you to take care of it! — and must stifle his fury while negotiating overtime rates with the leader of the Freelance Assassins. Even as they fend off repeated attacks on their restaurant, Ana and Ray find time to bicker like a conventional married couple. Her: "No wonder you got divorced twice!" Him: "It's a little below the belt, don't you think?" Even so, Ray insists that, despite all his failures, he will stand by his wife. And their restaurant. “Sixty-five percent of servers quit during their shift,” he says. "I won't be one of them."

And speaking of married couples: the funniest of funny affairs comes courtesy of Mimi (Kaitlin Doubleday ), Ana's mortal enemy from KGB days, and Tom (Chris Diamantopoulos), a deadly skilled sniper and incredibly patient husband. They bring their creepy twins "Shining" (Bianca D'Ambrosio, Chiara D'Ambrosio) when they venture to the Red Star to bolster and/or kill Ana because, the last time they left the girls home alone they threw an unsupervised party.

It would be unfair to reveal how things are going for any of the aforementioned - or Gary (Jackie Long), an ace masseuse who is understandably shaken as she is caught in the crossfire. So let's leave it like this: "High...