Movie Review: Death of a Telemarketer
Credit to Datari Turner, the producer of this movie, for continually giving black actors a chance to star; however this production only manages to capture one of its three major genre specifications. Death of a Telemarketer is grouped under Comedy, Drama and Thriller categories; unfortunately, it only lives up to one of these genres: Comedy.
*Spoilers included, because why not?*
The movie starts with an exquisite cut of Lamorne Morris, playing Kasey Miller, sealing a cable subscription amidst a sea of lazy (if not crazy) co-workers. The opening scene finishes with a flourish, and, for a moment, it seems like we’re in for a thrill… Unfortunately, things go awry when Kasey leaves ‘work’ to set a date with a girlfriend all the while berating her for working in a salon.
It doesn’t add up. Sadly, the movie never recovers; and onwards, we never really understand Kasey’s sudden loss of telemarketing powers, why he’s in serious need of the company’s cash reward; or how the company even operates! It gets worse, we never get context on Kasey’s leaked recording or the loan sharks who threaten his life. Instead, we get side-tracked by Kasey’s sudden captivity in the hands of a loony blacklisted customer and son.
The ‘drama’ is never seen as each scene is drawn out by extensively unrealistic dialogue. Also, the ‘thriller’ never truly sets in, as the scenes after Kasey’s capture stretch into boring nuisances.
In conclusion, the production feels ill-prepared, unenergetic, and rushed. The only thing that saves this movie from being a total flop is the powerful yet passionate performance of Lamorne Morris, who finally comes into his own element.
