High Heat (2022)

High Heat is the kind of scrappy, crowd-pleasing B-movie that knows exactly what it is: a hot-and-fast crime caper where the jokes land, the punches fly, and the whole thing moves like a kitchen in dinner rush. Olga Kurylenko is terrific as a chef with a razor-sharp edge, selling both the action and the sly humor with a straight-faced confidence, while Don Johnson brings a rumpled charm that keeps the chaos human. Director Zach Golden leans into the genre mashup—part mob thriller, part action romp, part dark comedy—so the vibe stays playful even when the bullets start popping. If you’re looking for prestige realism, this isn’t it, but if you want a brisk, violent, funny ride with a mischievous wink, it’s a hoot.

High Heat wants to be a cheeky, blood-and-banters action-comedy where a restaurant becomes a battleground and the joke is that the chef is the deadliest weapon in the room. The problem is the script and pacing don’t give the premise enough room to breathe, so scenes rush by with clunky dialogue and a “wouldn’t it be funny if…” tone that doesn’t always land. Olga Kurylenko brings credible physicality and Don Johnson adds some grizzled charm, but they’re often stuck selling thin character beats and plot turns that feel more convenient than clever. If you like scrappy B-movie energy and don’t mind uneven execution, you might have a decent time; if you’re hoping for tight thrills, sharp comedy, or a story that earns its twists, this will likely test your patience.