Getting involved with dating apps is like a big leap into the unknown, and towards strangers, you don’t know exactly who you’re going to run into and whether the person can be trusted. Director David Guglielmo explores just this idea with Love Bomb, centered on the character Josh (Josh Caras) and his one-night stand with Anna (Jessie Andrews) via the Love Bomb app. But what starts out as a semi-scripted evening gradually descends into something much more bizarre.
In order to exploit the dramatic potential of his script and the closed-door environment in which he traps Josh, Anna, and Tom (Zane Holtz), Guglielmo clearly draws inspiration from past auteurs such as Michael Haneke’s Funny Games and Mary Harron’s American Psycho. Love Bomb plays with the psychology of its characters but also with the unspoken aspects of its narrative in an attempt to exploit its concept to the full, and even if it doesn’t always succeed, it proves to be quite effective right up to its final act. The questions we may have about certain characters’ reactions or actions during the film are all answered, proving that Guglielmo keeps his central issue in mind.
As Josh experiences an emotional rollercoaster ride, during which he finds himself trapped in a supposedly prepared app scenario, Guglielmo wastes no time in unfolding his story. With a running time of just 75 minutes, Love Bomb gets straight to the point when it comes to developing its story and characters. On the one hand, this efficiency makes the film seem a little straightforward, but on the other, its pace is nonetheless appreciable. Guglielmo doesn’t add unnecessary content to make his film a 90-minute production, and this is much to be appreciated, reminding us that there really are no rules to follow when making a film.
“…centered on the character Josh and his one-night stand with Anna via the Love Bomb app.”
Visually, Love Bomb also plays the simplicity card, but without being simplistic. Lighting and framing are well managed, and Guglielmo tries out some rather original subjective shots to infuse his narrative with mystery and suspense. There’s almost sadistic violence in some of the shots and music choices, which are reminiscent of the most memorable scenes in Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. Although the pace of the second act is a little sluggish, Guglielmo makes sure to satisfy us with an engaging third act that lays bare the characters’ intentions and motivations.
Although the chemistry isn’t quite there between the actors due to dialogue that doesn’t really do them justice, the trio does pretty well for a film resting entirely on their shoulders and in a single environment. With the house so central to the narrative and events, it would have been beneficial to even know a little more about the geography of the house and its rooms. After all, Love Bomb quickly makes it clear that every room in the house is under surveillance and that one of our characters is taking full advantage of this.
Generally speaking, Guglielmo finds a rather interesting concept with Love Bomb. His use of a dating app as a central basis for his film is a good idea, and even if not all the elements necessarily work, the director is effective enough in his editing to quickly get us on board with his story and play with our expectations with his script.
"…almost sadistic violence in some of the shots and music choices..."