The Pace That Kills: A total mess of a moral lesson

Wait, what was that?

If you're looking for a sober, well-crafted drama, stop right now. This movie is a classic piece of 1930s exploitation garbage that thinks it’s being helpful. It’s perfect for people who like to laugh at how wrong movies can get things, but honestly, anyone expecting a real story will probably just be annoyed.

The premise is simple: a guy shows up, offers some white powder, and suddenly everyone is acting like they’re in a silent film comedy gone wrong. The brother and sister duo go from 'wholesome farm kids' to 'total disaster' in about ten minutes flat. It’s almost impressive how fast they drop their morals.

The acting is… a choice.

There’s a scene where the main villain stares into the camera with this weird, twitchy intensity that made me think he was just trying to remember his lines. He’s supposed to be menacing, but he mostly just looks like a guy who forgot where he parked his car. 🚗

The pacing is genuinely erratic. One minute they’re having a polite conversation, the next they’re screaming about cocaine like it’s a portal to hell. It’s got that same frantic energy you find in The 9th Guest, but without any of the fun mystery to back it up.

• The lighting looks like they just left a single desk lamp on in the corner.
• The dialogue sounds like it was written by someone who had never met a human being.
• The 'drug' effects are just actors rolling their eyes and waving their arms.

I caught myself looking at my phone halfway through because the dialogue just goes in circles. It’s not even trying to be subtle about the message, which makes it feel like a long, boring lecture from a grandparent who doesn't quite know what they're talking about.

Is it better than The Serpent? Maybe, maybe not. It’s definitely less polished, if that’s even possible. There’s a strange, dusty quality to the whole film, like it’s been sitting in a basement since 1935, which—to be fair—it basically has.

Don't look for depth here. Just look at the weird faces they make when they 'use' the drugs. It’s the kind of unintentional comedy that keeps me watching these old weird relics, even when I really should be doing something productive. 🙃