DVD Review: Judas Kiss

A review of the new fantasy time-bending drama Judas Kiss starring Charlie David, Richard Harmon, Sean Paul Lockhart and Julia Morizawa.

Failed film maker Zachary Wells (Charlie David) is asked to help judge a film scholarship competition at his old university – filling in for his friend who has to drop out at the last minute. Reluctantly Zach agrees and returns where he meets Danny Reyes (Richard Harmon) who he had a one-night stand with the previous night. That might sound like a rather predictable twist but what follows in Judas Kiss is anything but predictable.

Danny Reyes is entering his film Judas Kiss into the scholarship competition but that proves to be a problem for Zach – because fifteen years before he too entered the same competition with the film of the same name and Zach’s real name is Danny Reyes. At first Zach believes he has been set up in an elaborate hoax but soon he realises the truth is something different entirely as Judas Kiss bends time and goes slightly into the realms of fantasy – Danny is a younger version of Zach.

Zach has the chance to correct the mistakes he made in the past and put Danny on a difference course; stop him getting together with the spoilt but rich Shane Lyons (Timo Descamps) and instead with the talented Chris (Sean Paul Lockhart) and to also make sure that Danny/Zach’s cheating to enter the competition in the first place is exposed. However, whether Zach will be successful in changing his past and making difficulties decision that will affect Danny’s future is one of the key points of the plot.

Judas Kiss is a refreshingly different film with its genre mixing feel – time travel, fantasy, romance – and is at times dark but compelling too. It has undertones about the price of fame, fortune and celebrity and what people are prepared to sacrifice – such as their morals, happiness and principals – to achieve their dreams and aspirations. For example will Danny sacrifice happiness with Chris just because he believes that Shane can offer him more – materially speaking.

Actors Richard Harmon and Charlie David – perhaps better known to readers for his role in Dante’s Cove – but excel in their respective roles. Sean Paul Lockhart and Julia Morizawa are both worthy of mentioning too playing their roles with conviction and making them believable.

Judas Kiss is out now on DVD and you can watch a trailer for it here >>