Quartile rating: 7/10 · 1 rating
An unhinged office worker who planned to go on a shooting spree at his workplace struggles with his newfound status as a hero after he ends up stopping a shooting spree instead.
He Was a Quiet Man is a genuinely distinctive dark comedy with a surrealist edge — the talking fish, the fractured alter ego, and the blackly comic premise of an accidental hero who nearly perpetrated the very crime he stopped give it a singular, unmistakable voice. The plot is inventive and psychologically rich, exploring misanthropy, mental illness, and unlikely romance in ways that feel fresh. The acting is competent but uneven — Christian Slater commits to the role but the supporting cast is serviceable rather than exceptional. Cinematography leans into the surrealism adequately but doesn't elevate the material visually in a memorable way. The ending is where the film falters most, tipping into ambiguity that feels unearned and somewhat deflating rather than resonant, leaving viewers unsatisfied rather than thoughtfully provoked.