An alluring blonde has spelled many a noir protagonist’s doom, and that stereotypical femme is exploited for modest suspense and humor in writer-director Jake Goldberger’s off-kilter tale. The titular high-school janitor (Church) finds himself returning to his rural hometown; the siren who’s summoning him is his beautiful, and apparently dying, ex-girlfriend (Shue). Church oozes lonely-patsy schlubiness and Shue radiates crazed heat, but the movie ultimately relies too heavily on dry wackiness and goes too light on the fatalistic bleakness.—Nick Schager
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