Teenager John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records – Where the Wild Things Are) lives with his immediate family in a small Midwestern town. John is considered ‘troubled’ for his fascination with serial killers leading many to consider him either a sociopathic freak or harbouring homicidal tendencies.
Regardless of how he may appear to others John is actually a likable guy, intelligent and with a good heart. He is also one hell of an amateur detective. When bodies are found with body parts missing John starts piecing together who the killer might be. What initially plays like a conventional serial killer flick takes a turn for the science-fiction/supernatural leading to a battle of wills between John and the killer.
I Am Not a Serial Killer immediately draws you in, consistently well acted and full of surprises, with elements of the story reminding you of TV’s The X Files (the black stuff) and John Carpenter’s The Thing. Based on the 2009 novel of the same name by Dan Wells, the first in what was initially a trilogy, the others being Mr. Monster and I Don’t Want to Kill You, I Am Not a Serial Killer was director Billy O’Brien’s passion, he really wanted to adapt the book for the big screen. It shows.
Everything hits the right note and there’s some humour too. It’s grisly rather than gory, if that makes sense and it’s a constant delight from start to finish. Christopher Lloyd, as John’s neighbour Crowley, nails the menace and Records makes for an endearing lead. The tale may take a turn too weird for those expecting a run-of-the-mill serial killer flick, however it’s this very twist that makes this film rise up above the norm and offer a jaded film critic surprises he wouldn’t have anticipated. Recommended.
I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016) Review was last modified: February 22nd, 2017 by