The opening scene trembles with audacious literalness. Framed in an uncomfortable closeup, a distraught man on the verge of tears is transfixed by something just offscreen. Cut to a medium shot revealing him grimly pointing a pistol at the objects of his troubled gaze, two sleeping figures – a man and woman – sprawled on a bed in early morning, both unaware of his presence in the room. Are we about to witness the titular murder just minutes into the movie, without any backstory to explain the explosive violence that might occur in this unsettling introduction?
It’s a ballsy way to begin a movie, but director/screenwriter/editor Machoian is firmly in control throughout