The broad, symbolic strokes of The Killing of Two Lovers—how its story is set up and the general atmosphere it evokes—are stunning to behold. It's a naturalistic story whose ordinary moments feel like they're being told at the end of the world, given how deliberately chilling Robert Machoian's direction is. Unfortunately, once you start getting into the details of the plot and its characters, their actions and decisions don't lead to particularly interesting insights about the separation and the couple's relationship to each other or their children. The end result is something that's clearly driven by a compelling mood more than anything, but whose resolution still feels anticlimactic.

The setting in which The Killing of Two Lovers takes place is ripe for drama, and Machoian manages to make the most out of it. Much of the film takes place on flat terrain, out in the quiet countryside, with mountains rising up from the horizon. There's a feeling running throughout the entire movie that these characters have nowhere to hide, and whenever any of them literally tries to run away, they're essentially still running in plain sight. It's cool to see the themes of a film externalized this way and reflected in its surroundings—which is why it's also disappointing that the characters can't always reflect them in the same way.