In Alfred Hitchcock’s “Strangers on a Train,” an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s novel of the same name, two men meet by chance and discuss an exchange of murders: They would kill each other’s targets and evade suspicion because there would be no link between killer and victim. In the second entry of Daniel Alfredson’s thematic “Intrigo” trilogy, from a book by the Swedish author Hakan Nesser, the friends refer to this Hitchcock movie while hatching their own plan, inviting not only an unfair cinematic comparison to a masterpiece, but also scrutiny over a simple but flawed plot.
“Intrigo: Dear Agnes,” now out on digital and on demand, features not strangers with homicidal schemes, but long-lost friends. Henny (Gemma Chan) reunites with Agnes (Carla Juri) after the funeral of the latter’s husband. Trapped in an unhappy marriage with a rich man, Henny expresses open envy at Agnes’s freedom. Henny realizes she can eliminate her husband, Peter, if she can persuade Agnes to kill him. In exchange, she’ll pay Agnes the money she needs to keep her house. Henny’s rationale is that she suspects Peter of infidelity, and Agnes gives voice to a question sure to occur to viewers: Why not just leave him? Henny doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction, she says.
Through flashbacks, the film traces the falling out that led to the women’s current iciness. Their own connections, revealed bit by bit, make their plan even more ludicrous. A plot turn helps clarify why Henny reaches out to Agnes, but their motives remain muddled.
Intrigo: Dear Agnes
Rated R for murderous, adulterous behavior. Running time: 1 hour 40 minutes. Rent or buy on Amazon, iTunes other streaming platforms and pay TV operators.
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‘Intrigo: Dear Agnes’ Review: Please Kill My Husband - The New York Times
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