Review of The Killer Inside Me (2010) by Reid V — 17 Jun 2012

Weary of its graphic depiction of violence that it has become renowned for, I avoided sitting down with this film for quite a while. However, I found Michael Winterbottom's adaptation of Jim Thompson's chilling & infamous noir to be a maniacal, but enjoyable ride.

Well-behaved & mild-mannered, deputy sheriff Ford (Affleck) oversees the goings on in an idyllic West Texas town. Oozing southern gentility, behind Ford's mask of sanity lies a lurid past and the sadomasochist tendencies that have haunted him ever since. Imbued with noir sensibilities and rich style, Winterbottom plunges the viewer into the cold calculations of a sociopath. He nails the 50's aesthetic with his use of muted colors and an exquisite set design. And, while it is only a minor part of the film, he crafts probably my favorite opening credit sequence of all time.

Affleck is also excellent here. Easily giving his best performance to date. However, he unfortunately shares a generous amount of screen time with Hudson and Alba, who in my opinion don't deserve such weighty roles.

While the script could have used a bit more doctoring and the ending suffered from some lackluster special effects, Winterbottom's adaptation is undeserving of the "art-house torture porn" label that it has been given.