The Kiss of Death is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel

The Kiss of Death (1977)Drama, HorrorRating 49/100

Cited by Mike Leigh as one of his personal favorites among his own works, THE KISS OF DEATH is a mordantly funny portrait of Trevor (David Threlfall), a terminally shy mortician’s assistant who stumbles awkwardly into a would-be relationship with Linda (Kay Adshead), a more assertive young woman whom he meets through his buddy’s girlfriend. Trevor’s bumbling attempts at intimacy culminate in one of the most unforgettable and searingly honest “love scenes” ever captured on film.

Cast: David Threlfall, Kay Adshead, Angela Curran, John Wheatley, Clifford Kershaw, Marlene Sidaway, Eileen Denison

Director: Mike Leigh