Review of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986) by Noah Abraham G — 07 Sep 2012

A common problem with making films about serial killers is that they often make the murder seem enjoyable, and maybe even fun. Hannibal Lecter often has this problem, which is one of the many things that sunk 2001's "Hannibal." (I'm in the minority when it comes to "Hannibal Rising", which I honestly thought was a great movie, mainly because who doesn't want to see Hannibal Lecter kills Nazis?).

"Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" dispatches of this problem with brutal efficiency. Henry (Michael Rooker) is a Chicago-based killer currently living with his roommate Otis (a delightfully hammy Tom Towles). Ex-con Henry puts on a facade of friendliness, but is very much a heartless son of a bitch. His comfortable life takes a very different direction when Otis's sister (Tracy Arnold) comes into town, and another spanner is thrown in the works when Otis witnesses Henry murder a prostitute.

The movie is mainly a character study, balancing Henry's training of Otis with his blossoming feelings towards his sister. Unlike Henry, Otis seems to take great enjoyment from his crimes, and often has to be prevented from turning them into sexual escapades. Meanwhile, there is definite attraction between Becky and Henry, but this is confused by Henry's nature as well as Otis's lust for her as well.

It's these relationships that make the film so good. We feel for Henry, but the film never condones his actions. It's a tricky balancing act most films fail at, but this one manages to strike a proper balance. Michael Rooker is understated in his role, contrasting perfectly with the more bombastic Towles.

Henry's M.O. is simply to have none, and the film has a variety of different kills. The two most famous are the murder of a fence (Ray Atherton) and a home invasion that Henry captures on tape, and the two scenes could not be more different. While the former is mainly played for comedy, the latter is show with a brutality and true sense of horror. It's an odd balance that helps place a mirror to the audience, asking us to reflect on why we're watching this movie.

As you can tell, this film is not for the faint of heart. It is relentless, grim and very disturbing. Although the film doesn't go overboard with the amount of gore, it's by far one of the scariest films you will ever see.

But if you're able to get past that, this movie will definitely deliver on what it promises: A haunting, sometimes poignant, portrait of a serial killer. Don't watch it late at night.