Dead Hot

Charlotte Coben makes a striking directorial debut with Prime Video’s offbeat and heartfelt Dead Hot. Coben has successfully worked on her father’s projects before, including this year’s standout hit Fool Me Once. Dead Hot, however, couldn’t be more different. 

Our leads, Jess and Elliot, are brought together by the unexplained disappearance of Peter, Jess’s twin brother and Elliot’s boyfriend. We join them five years after their loss as best-friends-slash-flatmates navigating their lives as 20-somethings with a linked traumatic past. When things start to go awry once more, and the possibility of Peter returning heightens, Jess and Elliot embark on their own investigation to find out what on earth is going on.

If you’re tuning in expecting Harlan Coben’s signature thriller style, you may be taken aback by the more theatrical and ridiculous approach from the younger Coben. Dead Hot is a thriller for sure, with innumerable twists, spooky locations and severed fingers, but its aesthetic is more pink fur and chihuahuas. The show definitely has a consistent bold visual direction. However, at times it can be over-the-top in a way that takes away from the characters’ emotional drivers and serious themes: points on grief, codependency and friendship are oft buried under some truly wacky plot decisions and the hurtling speed at which they take place, so much so that it’s hard to forge a connection with the characters and their problems, as we’re constantly being distracted by something else. A zany, slasher-esque show can be magnitudes of unnerving fun when done right, but the weirdness in Dead Hot veers toward the shallow end. 

It’s the performances that make Dead Hot enjoyable to watch. Vivian Oparah and Bilal Hasna light up the screen with their magnetic chemistry. Oparah once more staunchly proves her worth as a BAFTA nominee, playing a lively and conflicted Jess, and Hasna is a joy as Elliot. They’re joined by several peculiar side characters played by recognisable faces, including Penelope Wilton, Peter Serafinowicz and Rosie Cavaliero, who hilariously commit themselves to their roles.

Although a little messy and a little too much, Dead Hot is still an addictive, entertaining time, with some stellar performances.

Talitha Stowell

Dead Hot is released on Prime Video on 1^st March 2024.

Watch the trailer for Dead Hot here: