I Am Not A Serial Killer (2016)

“Cracking Left-Field Quirky Original Indie Horror That's Well Worth Your Attention”

A British-Irish coproduction filmed in Minnesota, Billy O’Brien’s quirky, original and rather different horror picture gets a UK Blu-ray and DVD release courtesy of Spirit Entertainment.

Seventeen year old John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records) is worried he’s on course to become a serial killer, exhibiting as he does many of the traits that mark out sociopaths who then go on to kill. He’s still at school, but in his spare time he helps out his mum (Laura Fraser from BREAKING BAD and the BBC’s NEVERWHERE) at her mortuary.

The family business is especially busy at the moment because someone is killing people off in the small Mid-West town where they live. That someone is also mutilating the victims and removing organs. John decides to go on a hunt for the killer himself, but is what he discovers the truth or part of his irreversible slide into madness?

Billy O’Brien made the underrated ISOLATION (2005) which I reviewed here. While it would be difficult to say these two films are undoubtedly the work of the same man, I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER does display the same quirky imagination, mixed with a fascination with the gloopier side of death. It’s difficult to say too much about the plot without giving things away (and this is one movie you need to discover for yourself), but the performances are all great, especially from Christopher Lloyd who plays one of John’s neighbours and may have something to do with what’s going on.

The movie is photographed in 16mm by DP Robbie Ryan that, coupled with the fashions and general atmosphere, gives the movie the cold, grim and grainy look of early Cronenberg. As well as being reminded of RABID (1976) you might also get a bit of a PHANTASM vibe as well, especially from the interesting Hammond / Wurlitzer organ music score from Adrian Johnston (which I’ll freely admit I loved).

Extras on the disc include ‘Mood Cut’. which is the short film O’Brien and team made five years ago (and also starring Max Records) in order to raise funding. You also get a comparison scene between that and the feature, deleted scenes, storyboards, and some special effects bits that would be giving the game away if I told you too much about them.
         Easily a candidate for one of the ten best films getting a disc release this year, I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER is best watched without knowing anything other than what I’ve told you above. The UK cover does a nice job of not giving anything away (unlike one of the posters out there) and if you’re a fan of movies that play things a little differently this one's definitely worth your time. 

Billy O'Brien's I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER is out on UK 

Blu-ray and DVD on Monday 20th February 2017