If the initial phone call from Scream lasted an entire film, the result would be something like this halfway-decent B-movie thriller. Killer on the Air stars Jessica Morris as Sarah, the presenter of Sarah Cares, a call-in radio show and podcast where she solves listeners' emotional dilemmas with tough love and no-nonsense advice.
A Tense Setup
On the verge of signing a major New York contract, Sarah's week goes awry when her studio is hit by a bomb scare. The following day, her phone lines are blockaded by Edward, an aggrieved and apparently abusive husband. Sarah had previously advised his wife to leave him. Edward demands moral consistency, claiming Sarah lives in a sham marriage. He has proof locked in his shed: her husband's new lover, Alice (Carly Diamond Stone). Unless Sarah wants Alice's death on her conscience, she must follow two rules: no police and complete honesty when Edward asks a question.
Compelling Minimalism
After an insipid setup involving Sarah's radio colleagues and the hypocrisies of her home life with husband David (Adam Huss) and daughter Maya (Aliza Kate Barlow), the film becomes increasingly compelling as it grows more minimalist. It turns into a duel between the unravelling DJ and the malevolent green waveform on her screen. As Edward strips Sarah down to her childhood trauma live on air, Morris nails the theatrical bedside manner, surrendering to true candidness. Her tormentor gloats, I think they call that a breakthrough!
The backstory effectively shows how her empathetic yet judgmental therapeutic style stems from her parents.
Outside the Studio
The accompanying runaround outside the studio, as David and a hunky detective (Andrew Fultz) try to hunt down Edward, along with the final twist, feel somewhat obligatory. Haylie Duff's direction is a tad pedestrian. Nevertheless, the film intriguingly circles around the podcast age's performative emotions and authenticity fetish.
Killer on the Air is available on digital platforms from 18 May.
