Film Review - "Psycho Killer"

 Here is an example of why you can't always trust Rotten Tomatoes or entertainment press in general. Gavin Polone has produced some good movies, such as "8 mm," "Zombieland," and "Stir of Echoes." This is his debut as a director, and while this movie did not light up the box office, it deserves a second chance. Despite the 8 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes , this movie is a lot of fun. It does not, however, play by the rules of what Hollywood wants from horror movies these days. Despite it being about a female protagonist of color whose husband is killed by a serial killer. 

It delivers a classic slasher feel. Though not a dumb, mindless killing machine, but someone who is driven by a purpose. Sure, he is part of a silly Satanic "cult" of sorts, whose leader is Malcom Mcdowell, and provides a parody many in occult circles who don't take themselves too seriously might find humorous. All of this is not laid out for you in the beginning, and rather, the killer's motives become clearer as the film unwinds. I suppose if it had any message, it is not an intentional one that picks a political side, though it is timely when you think about religious types who might be trying to trigger the apocalypse. 

Not always the best acting, but not too stiff either, all the elements work enough to get the job done. It is a sad state of affairs when we are 4 months into the year, and this is the first horror movie I have felt inspired to write about. I did start watching the new "28 Years Later: The Bone Church," but it did not keep my interest. This movie did, in fact, I watched it in one sitting, which is a compliment in and of itself. If you are looking for a horror movie that makes some big social statement, then you should wander out into traffic, because that is not what horror is about. This movie might not indulge in graphic violence or gore, in fact, those things are handled rather tastefully, but it does offer the kind of slasher movie that I wish they made more of. It does not apologize for being what it is and that is what Hollywood press hates about it.