John Dahl is a deft director of liars, gamblers and people who ought to know better. We like his dry humour and attention to behaviour, though his television work can make his individual contribution harder to see.
Fi1m perspective
Put two people opposite one another, give each a reason to lie, and John Dahl has something to work with. We rate him for the attention he pays to suspicion, and for finding humour in people behaving badly. Kill Me Again (1989), his directing debut, set out the greed and deceit. Red Rock West (1993) and The Last Seduction (1994) established his reputation, with Linda Fiorentino's performance in the latter a particular strength.
Rounders (1998) made poker another way for Dahl to put people under pressure. After You Kill Me (2007), his work shifted chiefly to television, including episodes of Dexter and Breaking Bad. It is a sensible home for a director interested in what people conceal from one another. The reservation is that being good at the job does not always make his contribution easy to recognise within somebody else's series.
The warm, funny crime series Poker Face (2023) is a good place to consider that distinction. Natasha Lyonne makes it excellent company, and the cases give the work of catching a killer time to become a pleasure in itself. We enjoyed it because Lyonne makes that investigative business worth watching, rather than merely a wait for the answer. Its combination of crime and humour suits Dahl's interests, though we would not give him all the credit for a programme whose appeal depends so heavily on its lead.
A few cases dawdle, particularly when they keep their most interesting person off screen. That is a meaningful flaw: once a series has made us want someone's company, time spent away from them needs to earn its place. It is a criticism of the programme, not a failing we can assign to Dahl from a directing credit alone. Nor is his move into episodic work itself a reason for disappointment; an interest in mistrust and an ability to direct actors remain useful there. Choose Poker Face for the company, and allow for the occasional slow case.
Biography
John Dahl is an American film and television director and screenwriter. He was born in Billings, Montana, and trained at Montana State University and the American Film Institute.
Dahl is known for his early neo-noir feature films, including Kill Me Again (1989), which he also wrote, Red Rock West (1993) and The Last Seduction (1994). He later directed features such as Rounders (1998) and You Kill Me (2007) before moving primarily into television.
His television directing credits include episodes of Yellowstone, The Walking Dead, Ray Donovan, Billions and Poker Face (2025).
