I'll start with the obvious: this one is not going to be for everyone. The idea of outwardly making the act of killing anyone in general, and multiple serial killings in particular, is not going to 'play in Peoria' among the masses...nor countless other places, for that matter.
On the other hand, there will be some folks in the great city of Peoria, and countless other places, who just might like this one quite a bit because it is kind of funny.
Mike Wilson (Dameon Clarke) is your typical, upwardly mobile and handsome L.A. guy (isn't everyone in Southern California beautiful and/or handsome, or is that just a stereotype?) who has a good looking girlfriend and a positive outlook on life. There is just one thing that really helps to keep him grounded. He's a serial killer. And, if he does say so himself, a pretty good one. Like anyone in any walk of life who is very good at his/her trade, Mike is dedicated to his craft and is always looking to improve upon it.
And, not surprisingly, he also has the itch to share it with others. He does so by taking an erstwhile video store clerk (Ryan Smith) under his wing. He shares it with the audience in the form of a mock infomercial-complete with ten lessons-on how to master the craft.
The infomercial effect is achieved by cutaways from the ongoing story, plus interviews/testimonials from those close to Mike, including his devoted but unsuspecting girlfriend, Abigail (Laura Regan) and the expert psychologist who gives us the low down on just what the heck is really going on inside Mike's-or any serial killer's-head.
Like I said, the format will likely not appeal to a large number of people, but it is fresh and relatively different. I don't think How To Be A Serial Killer is trying to glorify violence in any way, nor does it by effect, in my opinion. What is really doing, in my view, is making fun of our current celebrity pop culture, in which, when you really think about it, almost anyone can become famous or notorious for a while. Whether they do it by making a voluntary/involuntary appearance on Youtube, by being in a cheesy infomercial, or by killing a bunch of people really isn't all that important.
And, there could be some humor in that and I think Ricci finds it. Inappropriate? Yeah, probably. I could have done without references to some victims of real life serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, for example. No need for that in a movie trying so hard to be darkly funny.
Clarke is really good as Mike, the psychopath who-altogether now-seems "so normal" on the outside. One thing those of you looking for blood and guts who might start panting when you hear the title or see the box cover should know is, there is very little on screen violence or killing. There is almost no gore, we do see blood, but for the most part, the most extreme thing we see is shooting, which doesn't even move the needle on violence by today's standards. No decaptitations onscreen. No torture. No evisceration. That might come as a relief to some of you, perhaps a bit of a disappointment to others. Just thought I should let you know if that type of thing plays into whether or not you check this one out.
I thought it was o.k., somewhat innovative and funny in many spots. I'd be interested to know what you think after you see it.
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