The Notorious Finster

Set in a rural backdrop, the cinematography is both captivating and well-crafted, seamlessly complementing the narrative without overshadowing the scene. Offering a unique spin on the traditional 'whodunnit' genre, the film delves into the dark psyche of a serial killer with a sense of empathy towards the victims and those ensnared in the killer's web of violence. Themes of alcoholism and obsession are explored with heartfelt depth, while the dynamic between Annie and Reyna adds an intriguing layer of complexity. The makeup work stands out as particularly impressive, adding to the overall immersion of the film. Despite its indie status, this film shines with its impeccable production quality, stellar performances, and masterful storytelling. It earns a well-deserved 10/10, showcasing the remarkable talent of its small team and budget, surpassing many big-budget counterparts in value and impact.

This movie feels very realistic. Many of the killing scenes are not shown. There isn't much space for victims being tortured, screaming for help. The lack of shenanigans makes the movie a little more creepy and more focused on the characters.

Several of the characters are quite broken people with some sad stories. That gives the movie another note of complexity. I liked this one. The whole time I was watching it, I couldn't figure out why it was listed in the "horror section" on Prime. I think it deserves to be in drama or thriller but I definitely recommend it.

I thought the production value was pretty good for a low budget indie.

If you enjoy darker dramas or dreary crime stories at all, do yourself a favor and give it a watch. Keeps you on the edge of your seat right from the beginning. I personally felt the actual climax was much before the climax that's depicted (won't let out spoilers) though I was honestly expecting a different ending , it doesn't fail to satisfy you at the end. Gives you a thought provocation on what's actually "innocent" and what's not. The best thing about the movie is the way it fiddles with your mind at the end as to who the protagonist really is - I mean it wasn't a gory movie , there wasn't much violence shown but being left to the mind made it much more disturbing than it could have been.

I watched "The Notorious Finster" the other night and was blown away by this well-crafted and hair-raising film. It was one of the best offerings of the insane killer genre that I've seen. Finster is a thinking person's horror film, with sharp psychological insights, humor, wry dialogue, and a unique protagonist -- a woman crime journalist who has been on the serial killer's trail for years. Annie Sullivan, a fully-drawn character with demons of her own, is played by Amanda Evans, who is spot on in her portrayal of a boosey and self-deceiving, yet brainy and resolute pursuer of truth. Beautifully filmed and directed, Finster will keep you on the edge of your seat, from its grusome opening scene until it's truly shocking final twist.

When I saw "The Notorious Finster," it was rated 4.0 with very few reviews and almost all of them were glowing and suspiciously high. But I gave it a shot. My rating of 3 should give you a hint of my impression.

The premise was actually interesting, but that's where the interesting part ended. Considering this was concerning a serial killer, you'd think there'd be a lot of killing...but, not really. The kills were really bloody, but mostly off-camera. The grossest part of the movie was when the lead actress made herself puke up a pill the killer gave her, and then drank it back up. I do not understand what the point of that was, but it was disgusting.

The acting is serviceable at best. Cinematography is rather dreadful, appearing to have been shot on a smartphone with the photographer's hand unable to hold still. The waving and shaking was incredibly annoying and distracting.

The biggest issue I had was the length. At almost two hours, the first two acts were a rather uninteresting buildup to the final act where the lead actress and the killer are alone together. They are two entirely different movies. Expand the first 2/3 into a slasher flick and the last 1/3 into a suspense. Add good actors, real film and an interesting script and you have two good movies. But instead, you have one meandering, boring, long low budget film that isn't particularly horror. I suppose for its budgetary limitations it's passable, but I was pretty underwhelmed.

Trying to find something positive, I do respect the actor whose throat was cut. It drives me crazy in these movies when someone's throat gets slashed and they just lay there and bleed to death. This guy actually grabbed his throat, trying to stop the inevitable. I respect that.

Overall, however, 3 is the best I can do for this turkey.