Murderlust

This dull and practically bloodless "thriller" tries hard to draw a smart and ambitious portrait of an atypical serial killer, but fails - and painfully - on every level. The main reason why "Murderlust" is unable to convince (or convince me, at least) is because the contrast between the two personas of the murderer/protagonist is too enormous and far too implausible. The guy, Steve Belmont, supposedly is a conservative Sunday school teacher and a respected member of a small catholic community during the weekend. But from Monday to Friday he lives - in that same small catholic community - in a flat that looks like a sleazy motel room, gets fired from simple security guard jobs and cruises around in a B.A. Baracus van to pick up prostitutes and wayward teen girls, so that he can strangle and dump them in the Mojave desert. Seriously, who believes that?

Other reviewers referred to "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" already. Why is that movie so effective and considered to be a cult/horror classic? Simple, because Michael Rooker - as Henry - is genuinely petrifying. Steve is never menacing, not even when he puts a gun against an innocent girl's head and forces her to cure his impotence. If this isn't bad enough already, "Murderlust" is also boring, monotonous, slow, and most of the amateur cast members can't even properly articulate.