As an evidently low-budget writer/producer/director independent film, "Let's Kill Ward's Wife" is not a bad effort. It's watchable, although a little slow and heavy on exposition. The production values are adequate with reasonably clear audio and relatively few annoying jiggly-cam shots, although I found the color a bit washed-out. The cast has an easy camaraderie and there are some genuinely funny moments.
However, it feels more like a made-for-television movie than a theatrical release. It's too conservative and middle-of-the-road for the material. It's not funny enough to be a comedy, nor black enough to be a black comedy, nor suspenseful or mysterious enough. The actions of some characters have the effect of re-energizing their sex lives, but the scenes are too tame to seem credible. Scenes that should be shocking and gruesome seem like something out of a parody or a movie from the sixties.
The inciting moment happens far too late. All of the characters are quickly involved in an unlikely plot with few qualms and little hesitation. The conflict that motivates the characters seems weak, particularly regarding the females in the group. Everybody seems motivated by some sort of herd mentality and loyalty to their friends. There isn't enough sense of good people being trapped into heinous acts by circumstances beyond their control.
The ending is not particularly satisfying because the script lacks a strong theme. There is an imbalance between their actions and the consequences of those actions. The characters haven't grown or developed through their experiences. We don't know what they would do in similar circumstances in the future or why and we're left with no better understanding of what we should do in similar circumstances in real life.
However, it feels more like a made-for-television movie than a theatrical release. It's too conservative and middle-of-the-road for the material. It's not funny enough to be a comedy, nor black enough to be a black comedy, nor suspenseful or mysterious enough. The actions of some characters have the effect of re-energizing their sex lives, but the scenes are too tame to seem credible. Scenes that should be shocking and gruesome seem like something out of a parody or a movie from the sixties.
The inciting moment happens far too late. All of the characters are quickly involved in an unlikely plot with few qualms and little hesitation. The conflict that motivates the characters seems weak, particularly regarding the females in the group. Everybody seems motivated by some sort of herd mentality and loyalty to their friends. There isn't enough sense of good people being trapped into heinous acts by circumstances beyond their control.
The ending is not particularly satisfying because the script lacks a strong theme. There is an imbalance between their actions and the consequences of those actions. The characters haven't grown or developed through their experiences. We don't know what they would do in similar circumstances in the future or why and we're left with no better understanding of what we should do in similar circumstances in real life.