
“Slow Dying” doesn’t just focus on the plot; it also explores the characters’ feelings and the difficult situations they’re in. Consider Malik, who seems clumsy and unsure of himself. He’s waiting for a response from the hitman he hired to kill Amos, and while he waits, he receives a video call. It’s Dinah, and she’s asking about her mother. Even though Malik and Steph share some lighthearted banter, the conversation turns serious when Steph – unaware that Dinah’s parents are deceased – asks Malik how he would feel if his own child were in a similar situation. He glances at a photo of his son, and a wave of emotion crosses his face. From an outside perspective, Malik appears to be a devoted family man. He knows all the words to a children’s song that both Dinah’s son and she enjoy, and his office contains reminders of family life – a dog bed, a leash. However, the brutal nature of his work has eroded his goodness. Perhaps his awkwardness is simply a sign of his genuine self trying to remain intact.