Review of Killer Joe (2012) by Diego T — 26 Jun 2013

Killer Joe is a new breed of movie. It's by far the grossest and most viscerally unappealing film I've ever seen. I mean, not to give away the plot or anything, but there's a scene where Matthew McConaughey beats a woman to a pulp and then forces her to suck his dick. So yeah, have no doubts going into this-- it's beyond R.

I work at a local library, and a customer recently asked me why the library even OWNED Killer Joe. He said it was a disgusting film that should be censored. I'm against all censorship, so I took it upon myself to see this thing in its entirety before judging it. And to be honest, Killer Joe is a good film. McConaughey plays the part of a sadistic, murdering hitman with the utmost precision, and the rest of the cast is superb. Juno Temple specifically shines as the spacey daughter of a trailer-park living redneck hick.

If nothing else, this movie reaffirmed my opinion on Texas. Like Emilie Hirsch says: "Everybody talks about how great this place is, but really it's just a bunch of hicks with too much space to walk around in!" With borderline pedophilia, numerous murders, wife-beating, and KFC, this movie embodies every prejudice I have ever had about the south.

The plot is pretty straightforward-- McConaughey plays Joe, a hitman who is hired by Chris (Hirsch) to kill Chris's mother; thereby giving him the $50,000 life insurance. When Chris can't pay up front, Joe takes it upon himself to offer up a solution: Taking his sister (Temple) as collateral until the debt can be paid off. The age of the sister is indeterminate, but depending on what it is, this film could be going into some seriously creepy waters. Half of the scenes between McConaughey and Temple are practically pornographic (not to be a prude, but COME ON).

I can't give Killer Joe high marks for its acting and script without talking about its flaws. Which, simply put, are fucking disgusting. Forget Evil Dead or Poltergeist, this is a real horror movie. The images of the abuse that these people are put through will stick in your head for some time. You'll laugh-- but only to keep yourself from having a nervous breakdown.

At the end of the day, Killer Joe is a good movie, but I don't recommend eating much before watching it, as what you ingest will probably find its way back out either end involuntarily. In other words, you'll probably shit your pants or throw the fuck up. Final score: 6/10 stars. Not for the weak-stomached.