At first, Marmalade just seemed like a good ol’ fashioned Bonnie and Clyde story being told by one inmate to another. As Baron tells Otis about his titular Bonnie in Joe Keery’s Southern drawl, there’s a charming bittersweet romance about a man pushed into crime because of healthcare costs and a compelling Camila Marrone as a manic pixie dream girl-flavored femme fatale. By its own, it’s already an intriguing twist to the film noir plot. But the second half turns this romance into something completely unexpected, pulling an insane set of interconnected plot twists that’s just fun to experience. There are certain moments that could have been tighter, but the performances were great, the images were stunning, and the plot was surprising. It’s such a daring move for first time writer-director Keir O’Donnell.
"half the fun of in writer/director Keir O’Donnell’s genre-twisting romantic noir/escapist road movie is puzzling out where and how exactly the truth lies."
— Anton Bitel
"Keir O'Donnell’s delightful feature debut “Marmalade” is the kind of comedy that zigs when you expect it to zag, like a carnival ride that catches you by surprise."
— Monica Castillo
Baron, an imprisoned man, strikes up a friendship with cellmate Otis. As the pair hatch an escape plan together, Baron recalls the story of how he met Marmalade, the love of his life, and their Bonnie and Clyde scheme to rob a bank in order to care for his sick mother and give the couple the life they’ve always dreamed of.
Recently incarcerated deadbeat Baron strikes a friendship with his new cellmate Otis, a man known for his numerous prison breaks. While hatching a plan to escape, Baron tells Otis the story of how he met Marmalade, who he deems the girl of his dreams, and the Bonnie and Clyde robbery they did in order to get the life they’ve dreamed of.
The plot twists. For the sake of spoilers, we won’t be discussing any details, but these plot twists switch the entire film around and neatly resolves any plot hole left hanging after the first half.
Joe Keery, it seems I’ve grown quite fond of you...
