Vague Visages’ Marmalade review contains minor spoilers. Keir O’Donnell’s 2024 movie features Joe Keery, Camila Morrone and Aldis Hodge. Check out the VV home page for more film reviews, along with cast/character summaries, streaming guides and complete soundtrack song listings.

*

Marmalade, the feature directorial debut from actor Keir O’Donnell (Wedding Crashers), cleverly trolls the audience with familiar heist-comedy tropes. One can easily pick apart surface-level structural issues — such as the rushed introductory sequence or questionable jokes — but when processed as a whole, everything comes together quite beautifully, thanks to the filmmaker’s rich character writing and sturdy lead performances from Joe Keery (Stranger Things), Camila Morrone (Daisy Jones & The Six) and Aldis Hodge (One Night in Miami).

O’Donnell’s film begins in media res as the long-haired Baron (Kerry) heads to prison after being arrested for an unidentified crime. The meek protagonist quickly bonds with his Black cellmate, Otis (Hodge), whose tough-guy banter reminds of Guy Torry’s Lamont from the 1998 classic American History X. The incarcerated characters discuss a next-day break-out plan involving $250,000 cash, all the while reflecting about their loving mothers. Marmalade initially feels stale and forgettable, primarily due to Baron’s Forrest Gump-style drawl and some croquet-themed humor, but the 99-minute flick ramps up as Kerry’s character recalls his relationship with the pink-haired Marmalade (Marrone) and their Bonnie-and-Clyde-style antics.

Marmalade Review: Related — Know the Cast & Characters: ‘Barbie’

O’Donnell’s empathetic character writing drives Marmalade’s narrative. The filmmaker establishes the stakes immediately and effectively, with Baron needing money for his mother’s medical bills and Morrone’s character seeking emotional support after growing up in foster homes. Plus, the seemingly hard Otis softens up while discussing his mother from Kingston, Jamaica. O’Donnell hooks the audience’s heartstrings, only to introduce a series of twists, all stemming from an unreliable narrator premise.

Marmalade Review: Related — Soundtracks of Television: ‘True Detective’

Keery handles the wheel in Marmalade, but it’s undeniably a showcase for Morrone. The American actress embodies the ideal Manic Pixie Dream Girl — complete with pink hair, loads of energy and constant sexual innuendos. In fact, Morrone’s bullseye performance almost seems too formulaic at times, which in turn leads one to question O’Donnell’s screenwriting approach. As previously mentioned, though, Marmalade must be assessed as a whole, all the way down to the final act execution. It’s a difficult film to discuss without delving into spoilers, but let’s just say that O’Donnell uses heist tropes as a means to hypnotize viewers. Call it Flow State Cinema —  a writer-director entrances the audience with charm and empathy before unveiling the final act “prestige”; a magic trick that connects the narrative dots. O’Donnell’s writing at once works to his advantage as a screenwriter while depriving viewers of the best element during the climax.

Marmalade Review: Related — Know the Cast: ‘True Detective’

Marmalade isn’t a great film, and many high-brow critics will presumably dismiss it as “rotten” nonsense, but there’s something special within the overall approach that suggests a bright filmmaking future for O’Donnell. One, he’s a helluva writer. Two, O’Donnell brings out the best in his leads, all of whom challenge themselves with meta-style acting, due to the script’s twists and turns. While the direction is somewhat standard, along with Polly Morgan’s cinematography, there’s plenty of visual style to appreciate in the production design (courtesy of Katie Fleming), whether it’s Marmalade’s outfits or the surrealistic heist masks she steals from Jordan’s Old Town. As Otis states in Marmalade’s first act, it’s important to “cut the fat” and prioritize “the details” when telling a story. If that was a primary objective for O’Donnell, then he got the job done. So, what’s the next magic trick?

Marmalade released theatrically and digitally on February 9, 2024 via Brainstorm Media.

Q.V. Hough (@QVHough) is Vague Visages’ founding editor.

Marmalade Review: Related — Soundtracks of Cinema: ‘Barbie’