MIFF MOVIE REVIEW: I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER





6/10

John Wayne Cleaver is only 15 years old and he is a killer in the making. Officially diagnosed sociopath he follows the set of rules to keep his demons at bay. That's until the real killer comes to town. As it becomes incredibly hard to suppress his dark urges, John comes face to face with an enemy he never thought could exist. In order to defeat the monster, will he have to unleash his inner beast? And what would be the price to pay?

I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER is  a thriller with an 80th vibe, that is intriguing and original up until the killer is revealed half way through. After that the story turns into a rather predictable "cat and mouth" game, that is still fun to watch, mostly due to meaningful, and seemingly too good for this small movie performance by Christofer Loyd, who plays John's  eccentric neighbour. Max Records is good as a teenage sociopath, but the script rarely makes him more than a protagonist in a serial killer  story. His decisions as a character are also not very logical. The script fixes the things up towards the end, but the terrible CGI finale is another blow.

It you like horror you will find this movie endearing. Even at its darkest it is still a film (and a story) for young adults, therefore not too terrifying. With its paper thin mystery and lack of effective and inventive murder scenes my "thirteen year old" self would have unlikely recommended it to his classmates. But it has a feel of a fresh air that we are wanting so much from modern horror. It is also asking an interesting question: What is better, to be a monster that can love or a human who cannot feel anything?

 QUICK FACTS

 I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER is based on a series of young adult books by Dan Wells.

 The movie is shot on 16mm film that is usually used for "non theatrical", industrial or educational films.

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