YMMV / Boiling Point (2021)

• Alternate Character Interpretation: Beth making attempts to be nicer, inviting Carly and later Andrea to go for drinks. Is she trying to make friends? Or does she realise that the other employees liking her would make the restaurant run more efficiently.
• Awesome Moments:
  • Carly letting Beth have it for her poor attitude, and blaming the kitchen staff for anything the customers complain about.
  • Similarly is Freeman chewing Andy out for his frequent mistakes bringing them to this point.
  • Andrea having enough of the racist customer, expertly shutting down any complaints with badass politeness.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • After it's revealed that Jamie has been cutting himself, Andy has another test of his dessert, and loves it. He gives the boy some positive feedback, and encourages him.
  • Sara Southworth revealing herself to be a Compassionate Critic, who would likely have given the restaurant a good review.
  • While Carly seemed unreceptive to Beth's offer of a drink, Andrea seems more open. And beforehand, Andrea had found Beth wiping her tears in the back, and asked if she was alright.
  • Beth is also trying to reassure Camille after she starts crying over the allergic reaction. Freeman yells at her for being so short sighted, but at least her heart was in the right place.
• Jerkass Woobie:
  • Andy may be an alcoholic who has frequent outbursts, and is responsible for a lot of screw-ups. However, he's dealing with a divorce, debts and is in way over his head in a high pressure environment.
  • Beth is snitty and condescending to the kitchen staff, and absolutely deserves the verbal smackdown she gets from Carly. But when she retreats to the toilet to leave her father a tearful voicemail (realising everyone hates her), it's impossible to not feel sorry for her.
• Older Than They Think: A mistake from an angry head chef leading to a woman with a nut allergy being served something that causes her an allergic reaction there in the restaurant had previously been seen in Raw.
• One-Scene Wonder:
  • Thomas Coombes as the health inspector only appears in the first ten minutes. But he's an instantly memorable presence for his "I'm just doing my job" snootiness.
  • Jamie the young pastry chef isn't in the film that much beyond the early minutes. But the dramatic reveal that he's been cutting himself sets the tone for what's about to follow.
• Paranoia Fuel: The simplest of mistakes led to a woman being served something with walnut oil, after everything else had been carefully prepped so as not to trigger her allergy.
• Tear Jerker:
  • The reveal that Jamie is cutting himself, and hiding his shame by wearing long sleeves at work.
  • After being yelled at by Carly, Beth calmly goes into the bathroom and closes the door. The camera remains outside so all you can hear is her leaving a message to her father, sobbing about how unhappy she is and how everyone in the restaurant hates her.
  • A woman taking an allergic reaction. Not just for Andy's horrified reactions, and the paranoia felt by all the staff, but her date was planning to propose later. While she's taken away in an ambulance, we're never told if she survives.
  • And to cap off a horrible night, Andy calls his ex-wife tearfully, begging her to tell their son he loves him. He swears he'll go to rehab, and seems like he means it when he clears away all his alcohol and cocaine, but then he collapses outside. The screen fades to black as we just hear Carly calling his name in a panic.
• The Woobie: Several, given the pressure they're all under.
  • Poor Andrea just cannot catch a break. She has to cover for the unreliable Robyn, deal with a horribly rude customer and get lectured by Carly on doing something wrong when she's not been properly trained. She likely also spends several minutes worrying about the woman who had an allergic reaction, since she told the kitchen staff and may think it's her fault for the message not getting across.
  • Jamie has very little screen time, but is revealed to be cutting himself.
  • Camille keeps quite stoic throughout the film, but when she realises she caused an allergic reaction, she's driven to horrified tears.
  • Sara Southworth likewise confesses to having a horrible ex-husband, and feels guilty for being away from her daughters to do her job. And Alastair is rude to her about getting with him in the first place.