Kasey Miller (Lamorne Morris, New Girl, Woke) is a smooth-talking telemarketer with a knack for selling phone, internet and cable bundles to anyone. Kasey will tell the customer anything he needs to in order to get the sale, even when he knows the customer can’t afford what he’s selling. He’s the reigning king of sales at TeleWin, whose motto is “Sell or die trying” (which may be more accurate than Kasey realizes!). It’s the last day of the sales period, and boss Liz (Gwen Gottlieb) is offering the largest commission to date, $3000, to the person who sells the most triple-play packages. Kasey already has a big lead over his co-workers and is overly-confident that he will get the bonus. So confident in fact that he’s already spent the money, and has a loan company breathing down his neck. Tonight Kasey has a very important date with on-again/off-again girlfriend Christine (Alisha Wainwright, Raising Dion, Shadowhunters), and nothing can mess this up. But when mild-mannered co-worker Barry (Woody McClain, Power Book II: Ghost) adopts Kasey’s more cut-throat sales strategy and starts to surge in sales, it looks like that bonus may fall out of Kasey’s grasp. So Kasey desperately raids the Do Not Call list to try to secure the one sale that would put him over the top. However, he calls the wrong guy—Asa Ellenbogen (Jackie Earle Haley) doesn’t take too kindly to Kasey’s attempt to swindle him, and decides to unleash his inner Liam Neeson and make this telemarketer atone for his sins.
Death of a Telemarketer is a comedy/thriller where the hero/victim may not be all that clear. I’m sure many of us would love to get their revenge on these disruptive parasitic telemarketers, but would never go to the lengths that Asa does. At the same time, Kasey’s motive for cracking into the DNC list was based out of love and desperation, so maybe he deserves a little slack, and certainly not have his life threatened over it. While the film was never laugh-out-loud funny for me, it did have some very humorous moments. In the first half of the film, star Lamorne Morris gets to show off his accent, impersonation and comedy skills as he makes one outrageous phone call after another, trying to hook customers into signing up for over-priced cable packages, or using his fast-talking skills to win over his upset girlfriend. There is also this fun dynamic in the office as the co-workers constantly trade barbs and insults with one another. Later on we get to see a more vulnerable side to Kasey, as Asa forces him to face the consequences of his actions, confront his victims, and actually tell the truth for once in his life, but that still doesn’t stop Kasey from dropping some jokes and trying to make light of his situation at times.
Jackie Earle Haley is perfectly cast, delivering on the more menacing and dramatic side of Asa, while also mixing in some more subtle moments of humor. Kasey can usually talk his way out of any situation, but that isn’t going to work with Asa, who’s not falling for any of Kasey’s tricks. If Kasey is going to have any chance of surviving this situation, he’s going to have to put aside his always-be-selling ways and admit the truth for once in his life. He may be the king of conversation, using words as his tools, but Asa has a more powerful tool…his gun! Also, there’s another wrench thrown into the situation as Dean (Haley Joel Osment) enters the picture. He brings out a different side to both Asa and Kasey and adds a fun new dynamic into the mix, while pumping even more humor into the situation. Osment is hilarious, playing his character so over-the-top and ridiculous at times.
While I enjoyed this film overall, the story itself felt a little meager, with one main idea stretched out to fill 88 minutes. Kasey’s situation felt a bit repetitive at times—I wish the writers could have come up with some additional interesting new twists to the story to mix things up and keep it a little more interesting. That said, I did find that the film built to a satisfying conclusion, with an emotional arc and growth for Kasey, which isn’t always the case in a comedy.
Normally I would comment on the audio and video presentation of the release, but I watched this film via a screener which may not reflect the final consumer product. Also, it does not appear that this release will include any bonus material.
Death of a Telemarketer will be available on digital platforms January 25, 2022 from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.
What’s Included:
Digital specs and may vary by retailer.
Film: (1:27:47)
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.35:1
- Audio: English Dolby Digital 5.1
- Subtitles: English
Extras:
-
Does not appear that there will be any bonus material included with this release.
Final Thoughts:
Death of a Telemarketer is an entertaining comedy/thriller starring a talented cast. While the story feels a bit overly-stretched out at times, I did ultimately enjoy the movie. It has a fun premise that anyone can relate to. Lamorne Morris, Jackie Earle Haley and Haley Joel Osment have a great dynamic which leads to a lot of humorous moments and situations. The film is worth a look for fans of the cast.
Death Of A Telemarketer
$3.59 (as of November 7, 2024 22:23 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
