PAUL DOOD’S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK is a hilarious dark comedy from director Nick Gillespie. In his directorial debut. He has worked as cinematographer with Ben Wheatley, a director known for the likes of DOWN TERRACE and FREE FIRE. This works like a parody of horror comedy that Vincent Price used to make in the 70s like Dr Phibes and Theater of blood. The only difference is that Paul Dood is not as smooth or creative in his revenge like Dr. Phibes (aka Vincent Price). He is quite inept in his mission of revenge. The film is also a great satire of the entire influencer culture.
Paul Dood (Tom Meeten) desperately wants to be a star. He has a page in this app call ladder, which is like this film version of YouTube. He has a small following in the app where he posts mostly dance videos of himself. His biggest fan is his mother; whom he lives with him. One day he is late to an American Idol type show audition. Dood hopes this is moment when he is finally going to reach stardom. His mother accompanies him to see him at the audition. Along the way he encounters many terrible people that make him, and his mother be late to the audition. Somehow, he makes it to the audition; but he meets the host of the show Jack Trapp (Kevin Bishop) the biggest jerk in the world. He completely humiliates Dood by telling him he has no talent and he won’t be part of the show. At the same time his mother dies. His grief over his mother death drives him over the edge. He sees the people that made him late to the audition responsible for his mother death. Dood is going to kill everyone that got in his way that day and he is going to film it in a live webcast during his work lunch break.
The incompetence of Paul Dood path of revenge is the main source of comedy of the film. He is not the best planner when it comes for revenge. He is no Vincent Price. Every that can go wrong with his revenge, goes wrong, most of his victims die out of their own clumsiness. Although, the deaths are brutal; especially one involving the priesthood and a steamroller.
Even with all the awful things Paul Dood’s does in the film, you still love the dood. This is thanks to the performance of Tom Meeten. He makes this character be such a lovable loser you don’t want him to get capture by the police before he finishes his deadly webcast. A goofy character: but he doesn’t fall into Will Ferrell man-child territory.
The soundtrack in the film is amazing, considering this is a low budget film. It has some great 80s tune that will make you dance like Paul Dood thru out this movie. Now I want to put together a music compilation of this movie’s soundtrack!
Influencer culture is completely lampoon in the film. All of Paul Doods kill only increase his viewership. The amazing performance of Kevin Bishop as the guy that is just famous for being famous. He is the ultimate jerk; you can’t wait until Dood get his hands on him.. Accidentally, he has reached the celebrity he always wanted.
This was a great dark comedy. If you like the oddball dark comedy you should join Paul Dood’s in his deadly lunch break. You might even end up dancing along with him towards the end of film.
Read our interview with director Nick Gillespie!
PAUL DOOD’S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK is now streaming on SxSW Online.
This film and many others like it will be showing at the virtual South By Southwest taking place March 16-20th. For more information and to register for the festival, point your browser to www.sxsw.com!