Review of The Killer Inside Me (2010) by Marjeez Y — 01 Oct 2010

The Killer Inside Me is an awkward experiment. It rarely works, but when it does it?s as gruesome, psychotic and memorable a film can get. It?s ?American Psycho? with a reason, set in the early ?50s.

The Killer Inside Me happens to be one of the few films I have seen that features A-list actors that pushes the R-rating to it?s limit. How they managed to take Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson along the ride is beyond me. Jessica Alba gives a fair performance, but at times felt just picked for show. Kate Hudson does a nice job, and Casey Affleck plays a brilliant psychotic sheriff. It may seem he is a one-sided actor with his unique voice, but he plays the ?50s town sheriff perfectly with subtle moments of brilliance.

The camera-work is average, and there aren?t any noticeable techniques or styles the director puts forth to make it his own. The music, while fits the era, is played at he worst moments. Once you feel like you?re seeing a shining moment in the film, a ?uppity? tune comes along and completely takes you away from the mood. I suppose this may be a new technique in film-making, but it doesn?t enhance the viewing experience, it takes the audience out of the moment.

The story itself was taken from a gritty 1952 novel, but on film the story feels second to the brutal sequences. It would have been nice if they enhanced the story in some ways, but it was too cut-and-paste throughout the film. It kept repeating itself, granted in scenes that I did not mind seeing again and again, but the repetition was tiresome. The final sequence is awkward, and in a way gave the feeling that everyone working on the film had given up.

The Killer Inside Me felt like an Oscar-worthy film with too many unique flaws. It?s unforgettable and the acting is great, but be warned, it pushes the R-rating to its? limit.