Review of Natural Born Killers (1994) by Stefan G — 07 Jan 2015

For many moviegoers, this might not be comfortable viewing. But, for the curious, this is a film that offers a fresh and original experience. The film is essentially the Bonnie and Clyde of the 1990's, and with a firm focus on how the mass media likes to glorify serial killers in their quest for ratings.

There's also an abundance of the abstract and the psychedelic, which is quite appropriate considering that the film itself revolves around the perspective of frenzied psychopaths. There's even one scene that serves as a distorted parody of I Love Lucy, and that scene had quite a delightfully twisted sense of humour.

Although some parts of the film feel rather disjointed and a little silly, the film itself goes on a course that leads to a very violent, yet well-executed conclusion. The performances are what really elevate the film, perhaps because the characters really develop as film progresses, and by the end of the film, the characterization reaches its peak.

For me, the best part of the film was how effectively it was able to deliver its satire without being too obvious. When the whole world starts being fixated on the serial killers, one can grasp the sheer influence the mass media has in shaping perceptions.

Obviously it seems like I'm reading into the film too deeply, but that's how engaging the film can be. It's a good mix of explicit violence and implicit social commentary, and if this is what the film-makers intended, I'd say they did a pretty good job.