Review of Man Bites Dog (1992) by Wayne K — 21 Feb 2016

Taking its name from a journalistic term which describes a peculiar event which is given special attention by the media because of its unusual nature, Man Bites Dog is a remarkably bleak yet profoundly thought-stirring take on contemporary violence and the world's desensitisation to it.

With an amateur film crew following a serial killer so cavalier that he recites poetry and waxes philosophically between hunting his victims, they become so deeply involved in his activities that they soon find themselves inextricably bound to them.

The film poses several questions that a civilised society wouldn't dare ask. Is murderer ever justified? Is it more acceptable in certain situations? And, probably most worryingly of all: Can anybody be a murderer? With a commanding central performance by Benoît Poelvoorde, who is depicted as taking his first on-screen victim before most movies would have finished rolling their opening credits, an immersive filming style and a willingness to be controversial without gratuity, Man Bites Dog exists as one of the most important mockumentaries of all times.

Think 'This Is Spinal Tap', but with homicide rather than Heavy Metal.