How To Be A Serial Killer (2008)

How To Be A Serial Killer (2008) Dir. by Luke Ricci

A serial killer decides to teach the secrets of his satisfying career to a video store clerk.

I have been meaning to watch this movie for some time now, but never got around to it until today. I'm glad I finally decided to watch it as it is a fun quirky little dark comedy. It is sometime listed under the horror genre but is in no possible way a horror film. I did find myself laughing quite a bit, especially the parts between Dameon Clarke and Matthew Gray Gubler (Reed from Criminal Minds). Dameon plays the serial killer, and Matthew plays his apprentice, Bart. The chemistry between the two of them is hysterical, but in an extremely awkward way. Gubler isn't too far off from his character of Reed on Criminal Minds, except less smart, but that didn't bother me that much.

From a film standpoint, there is nothing about this film that pops out in an extreme way. It is shot very simple, and rides on a perfectly written script. It doesn't rely on gore, or special effects to get the job done. Although, I will say the use of the headband camera was a nice touch. Mike (Dameon Clarke) always has a positive attitude towards what he is doing, and even refers to it as doing people a favor. This upbeat perspective towards killing people is reflected not only in the positive manor he carries himself in, but lighting and cinematography as well. Each frame is filled with vibrant colors, and well lit rooms. Even at night, streetlights are always around. I think this really helped keep me interested, as I always saw every little thing that was going on. The comedy on this film was extremely sarcastic, as you get to see every part of a serial killers life. In a crazy way, I couldn't help but feel like it was probably really close to how a sociopath might go about his day. This film does it with humor, and takes itself very lightly while it shows these things. It was almost like watching a comedy version of Dexter.

The acting in the movie was amazing. The serial killer, the student, the loving girlfriend- blind to her boyfriend's actions, and they were all done extremely well. Clarke was unforgettable as the upbeat positive serial killer, taking pride in what he has accomplished, and feeling confident in teaching his ways to another. Grubler was great as the nervous yet anxious student, always willing to do whatever it takes to make the teacher happy. These two carry the movie on their shoulders, and with good reason. They play their parts perfectly, and I felt like I could compare myself to either character. Yes I said that I could feel for what the serial killer was going through. The way Mike handles himself as the serial killer was amazing. Watching him slowly lose his control on the situations left me wanting more. At times, this movie almost makes fun of the way killers go about themselves, but it also makes fun of everyone else and how they handle them. Dumb cops, and dumb neighbors running towards gunshots. I think it was an easy way for the filmmakers to get their point across, and I'm glad they did it without jazzing the movie up too much.

I did extremely enjoy the movie overall, but I do have one bone to pic with it. The ending fell a little flat. I think it could have used a bit of a twist to spice it up, and I thought of the perfect twist. If you have seen this movie and want to know my thought on what that should have been, email me. The movie definitely ended, but I felt like it was to quick and without anything exciting about it. It just ended, and that let me down. I do feel like this movie is ownable, and I will look for the DVD. It will be interesting to see what special features it has. I recommend this movie to everyone. Go watch, and remember this line, " Oh, my friends having a bachelor party." I was laughing so hard in that scene!

Entertainment Value : 8/10 Blow Darts
Cinematic Value : 7/10 Blow Darts