Is this actually a horror movie?

Not really. While the premise involves people dying, it’s handled more like a dark fable or a comedy than a slasher. There aren't jump scares, but the concept of death is constant.

Why is it rated 17+ if it’s about teenagers?

The rating comes from the combination of dark humor involving death, some adult language, and mature romantic themes. It's aimed at the 'older teen' demographic rather than the middle-school YA audience.

Is there a lot of gore?

No. The deaths are usually quick and clean (people just stop breathing or collapse), focusing more on the 'magical' nature of his condition than on blood and guts.

Does it have a happy ending?

Without spoiling it, the movie is described as 'often tragic.' It follows the pattern of most 'star-crossed' teen dramas where the emotional payoff is bittersweet rather than a standard Hollywood happy ending.

Looks That Kill – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

Looks That Kill

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

movie2020

62%

WISE Score

A dark comedy where 'killer looks' isn't just a metaphor—it's a literal body count.

Looks That Kill

movie

M, 2020

62%

WISE Score

A dark comedy where 'killer looks' isn't just a metaphor—it's a literal body count.

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, if your kid thinks Twilight was too tame and Deadpool is too loud, this weird middle ground might actually hit. It's a pandemic-era indie that manages to be a 'sick-teen' romance while also being a literal dark comedy about a guy whose face kills people.

It's not a masterpiece, and the 6.3 IMDb rating feels about right—it's solid, high-concept entertainment that doesn't quite reach the heights of the classics it's trying to riff on. But for a mature teen who likes their romance with a side of gallows humor and a bandages-wrapped aesthetic, it's a worthwhile stream.

Age Fit

This is strictly for older teens (16+) and adults. The dark humor and the 17+ age signal from external reviewers mean it's likely too intense or conceptually heavy for the middle school crowd.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

While it has a surprisingly sweet emotional core about connection and disability, the premise is built on accidental death and dark comedy which might not sit right with everyone.

Imaginative

A clever, high-concept twist on the 'lethally attractive' trope that uses a supernatural curse as a metaphor for teen isolation and social anxiety.

Safe

Common Sense Media puts this at 17+, and for good reason. The dark humor involves literal death, and the mature themes around romance and physical defects are heavy.

Enriching

Offers a decent jumping-off point for talking about self-image and what it means to truly 'see' someone beyond their physical appearance, even if it's wrapped in a weird wrapper.

Parent Info

✓

Why It Might Be Great

High-concept hook that actually follows through on its weird premise without blinking.
Solid audience reception with an 87% on Rotten Tomatoes suggests the emotional landing works better than you'd expect.
Subverts the 'perfect teen' trope by making the protagonist's extreme beauty a literal, tragic curse.
Brandon Flynn brings a grounded energy that keeps the movie from floating off into pure absurdity.

⚠

What to Watch For

The body count is real. The 'hilarious and tragic consequences' mentioned in the synopsis involve people actually dying because they looked at him.
Mature content floor. With a Common Sense 17+ rating, this isn't a family-night movie. Expect language and sexual themes that match an older teen audience.
Emotional heaviness. The girl he meets has a congenital defect; the movie deals with serious illness and the reality of physical limitations in a way that can get quite sad.

Conversation Starters

"If you had a 'superpower' that was actually a curse, how would you try to live a normal life?"
"Why do you think the movie uses such an extreme metaphor for the feeling of being different?"
"Does the dark humor make the tragic parts easier to handle or does it feel disrespectful?"
"What does the movie say about the difference between being 'attractive' and being 'seen'?"

Deep Dive

The 'Killer Look' Metaphor

Looks That Kill stars Brandon Flynn (whom you probably recognize from 13 Reasons Why) as Max, a teenager who has spent his whole life with his face covered because anyone who sees him literally drops dead from his beauty. It's a premise that sounds like a discarded Saturday Night Live sketch, but the movie plays it with a surprising amount of sincerity.

When he meets Alex (Julia Goldani Telles), a girl with a heart condition that causes her to lose consciousness if she feels too much emotion, the movie settles into a more traditional 'star-crossed lovers' groove. It's very much in conversation with movies like The Fault in Our Stars or Five Feet Apart, but the supernatural elements give it a buffer from being purely manipulative.

"The film works best when it leans into the absurdity of Max’s condition while keeping the emotional stakes between the two leads grounded."

Why the 17+ Rating Matters

Don't let the 'teen movie' label fool you. The safety score is lower here because the movie doesn't shy away from the 'kill' part of its title. There is a streak of pitch-black humor regarding the deaths Max causes, and the 17+ rating from Common Sense Media suggests the dialogue and romantic situations are tuned for an older, more cynical audience. It’s a 2020 release that found its legs on streaming services like Peacock and Tubi, making it an easy 'hidden gem' find for teens who have already exhausted the mainstream YA catalog.

What Parents Ask

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