User reviews

John Wayne Cleaver(Max Records) is a high school student with an unhealthy obsession with serial killers. His small Midwestern town begins to experience a series of brutal murders. John's mother is the town's only mortician and she allows her son to help her with the postmortems. He plays detective and becomes friends with an elderly neighbor, Crowley, played by Christopher Lloyd, in his best role since Back to the Future. Lloyd is funny, sarcastic and he pretty much steals this film. The less written about where his quirky character goes, the better. Lloyd and his young costar, Max Records, have a strange and endearing chemistry which will keep viewers guessing as to how it will all end. The final scene is not what I expected, but I can recommend I am Not a Serial Killer without reservation.

Obsessed with a spate of bloody murders in his hometown, a disturbed teen begins to stalk his elderly neighbour.

Mostly a tale of alienation in a decaying society, but with a light hearted touch. The hero is presented in the unusual scenario of a family that runs the local mortuary, and there's some nice gore on the dissecting table as the vascular pump ticks away in the background. Also sets up a nice sight gag for the credits music at the end.

It's well shot and paced, but only picked up for me at about the half hour mark, when the horror element was introduced. At about 54 mins there is a well thought out and skillful jump scare. But the tone never gets heavy, so this is horror lite. Maybe they should have gone full horror once the ambiguity over the killer's identity was cleared up. Instead we had to wait for some over cooked CGI at the very end.

Lead actor is very good, and the villain too - though some of his lines were obscured by the aged voice. There are too many characters, some of whom seem significant but don't matter to the story or only appear in scenes that could have been cut - mostly the high school stuff. So the screenplay is not the tightest.

Music is interesting, applied with a light touch. A bit of poetry too.

Overall, whimsical horror that needed a heart transplant somewhere along the way.

ps. Interesting to see US-Irish collaboration.

It's 2017, and even though I Am Not a Serial Killer was released way back in march of last year, it has recently been added to Netflix thus giving the movie it's most widespread accessibility. I Am Not a Serial Killer has been on my radar since that South By Southwest Film Festival screening and I have only heard good things so when I saw it was headed to Netflix I was quite excited. It has been a while since I have seen a real solid horror movie, actually probably since I saw It Follows in 2015. While it's not really fair to compare the two movies, they do have some similarities.

The basics of I Am Not a Serial Killer are pretty basic. The appropriately named John Wayne Cleaver is our main character, a teenager who has some issues that most normal heroes don't have, he is a diagnosed sociopath. John struggles with the idea that he will become a serial killer, so he comes up with a set of rules to control himself when he starts to think about indulging his impulses. He is good at controlling himself with the help of his therapist, and oddly enough working in the mortuary that his mother owns and operates. The small nondescript mid-western town that John lives in has been plagued by some rather grizzly murders and John feels that he can figure out who has been committing these crimes, either from a connection to the killer or possibly something deeper.

I Am Not a Serial Killer is a slow moving affair. This is not necessarily a bad thing, the movie takes it's time setting up relationships between characters and giving some solid character development that is usually glossed over or explained away with boring exposition. The movie lets the actors show and not tell, which even though it is one of the biggest rules in film making is often forgotten by horror movies. Max Records who plays John Wayne Cleaver does a great job of getting his character into the gray area that seems so difficult to achieve. John is not only a flawed person because of his sociopath, but he is also a kid, he does not always make the right choice or he may not always be quick with a line. He feels like a real high school student, with a bit of a twist.

The pacing of the movie is not the only thing that lends a hand to separate the tone from most other serial killer movies. I Am Not a Serial Killer makes efforts to not be a cookie cutter low budget horror movie, because it's really not. It blends genres quite well I think but also relies on its story and tone to drive the emotion, rather than well timed musical cues and immense gore. There are no jump scares here, which I can appreciate. Jump scares to me are like hot sauce, when used sparingly the effect is much more enjoyable, but when overused the whole thing is ruined. Don't necessarily expect to be given nightmares by I Am Not a Serial Killer, it may just keep you up at night with some self reflection.

While I Am Not a Serial Killer does not stand up to The Babadook or It Follows, it is certainly a good movie and like those other two (which I believe are the two best horror movies I have seen in the last few years) it avoids being a clone of all the mass produced horror movies that make 200x their budget because every guy hopes this will finally be the scary movie that will make that girl he likes jump into his arms for protection. If you come into it looking for more of a good movie rather than a scary or bone chilling one you should be good. Enjoy the creepiness of the atmosphere and the well told story, and the girl you are trying to impress with how tough you are during scary movies may just appreciate your taste in movies a bit more.

There are so many things I love about the Toronto After Dark Film Festival (TADFF). The venue. The people. The films. The shorts. The atmosphere. So many things combine to make the TADFF my favorite film festival of the year.

And one of the more surprising things that occur each year is that my favorite film of the festival will come unexpectedly from left field. This year's crop of screenings held many titles to which I was already aware of their existence. Under the Shadow, Antibirth, Train to Busan, Stake Land 2 and Creepy. These were all titles that I was fully conscious of their information including story, director and cast. But there were a few that I had yet to hear anything about, The Void, Master Cleanse, Kill Command and I am not a Serial Killer. It is with these titles that my hopes rested on finding that unexpected gem that I found in previous TADFF entries in Predestination, Eega and Trick 'R Treat.

By Monday night, I had found it. I am not a Serial Killer is not a film that I would expect many to know much about. The film is based on a 2009 novel by Dan Wells that was part of a trilogy of books in what is considered the John Wayne Cleaver series and includes I Am Not a Serial Killer, Mr. Monster and The Devil's Only Friend.

In the film adaptation we get introduced to John Wayne Cleaver played by Max Records from Where the Wild Things Are. John is a high schooler that believes he has serial killer tendencies. Or so he tells his therapist (Karl Geary). John works in a morgue run by his family which gives John access to dead bodies that begin to show up with regularity when a serial killer begins to add to their resume in a small rural town. John is fascinated by the killings and how in each instance a different part of the victim's body has been removed. John is eager to use the killings to harvest his fascination with serial killers and this path will lead him down a plot highway that has plenty of surprises leading to a very unexpected climax.

Director Billy O'Brien worked tirelessly to get the rights to bring the Dan Wells' story to the big screen and he does not waste the energy exerted in pre-production. The film has just the right amount of everything and reveals in its own time a plot that is as smart as it is simple.

Back to the Future's Christopher Lloyd gets top billing and is a welcomed familiar face in sea of newbies and the 79-year-old actor shines as the neighbor next door that catches the eye of young Cleaver.

But the movie hinges on the wonderful performance from Max Records. Hardly recognizable from his role in Where the Wild Things Are, Max is perfectly cast in the lead and has a mix of Johnny Depp and Lukas Haas in him which works flawlessly in the role of the conflicted teenager at odds with his family, friends and, at times, himself.

To enjoy I Am Not a Serial Killer is to go in knowing as little as possible about the plot. Letting it go in directions unseen due to no preconceived notions aides in the overall enjoyment of the reveals. So do yourself a favor and just dive into the deep end and enjoy the water.

I Am Not a Serial Killer is another feather in the cap of the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. It is not only one of the better films of this year's fest but it is one of the ten best films the festival has ever screened.

I had never read the book so I can't say a thing about the adaption. But it's a strange flick clocking in over 90 minutes and has a lot of blah blah but also some action here and there.

The problem is the fact that I can't spoil a thing so for the non readers of the book you're in for a strange flick with a weird ending. One you can't see coming. Of course by being a slow flick, it isn't going to be a flick for all horror geeks. It has some excellent effects in the beginning at the morgue and the end is also well done. On part of the horror, it do has a few killings not gory at all but they surely deliver in context of this story.

Even with the word serial killer it isn't a normal serial killer flick. So if you can stand a lot of characterisation and weird things going on then this is going to be your stuff but for gorehounds this doesn't fulfil your wishes.

A flick that stands on his own. But with excellent performances.

Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 0/5 Effects 2/5 Story 2,5/5 Comedy 0/5

As an average movie goer who was let down by major titles released this year, I decided to give this one a go. As it was part of the Melbourne International Film Festival program this year, I closed one eye and picked something that sounded mildly interesting to watch with a friend.

This is a movie-adaption of Dan Well's book, which already received quite a reputation, but I didn't know that. Heck, I didn't even bother to look at the cast list, or anything further than the 'psychological thriller' genre. Boy, was I in for a ride.

Overall, I was mildly surprised by how entertaining this movie was. The pacing was adequate - not rushed, nor was it too slow. It was also quite easy to follow with no convolution in the story and it doesn't feel forced. I was even more impressed about the clever slice of humor being thrown here and there. I enjoyed the cinematography and clever use of sound effects to keep you at the edge of your seat.

So I'm giving this a good rating, simply because I really enjoyed it - and that 2016 really need more gems like these. I wouldn't mind watching it again, or pick up the book.

I wasn't expecting what I got from this film.

John, a teenager with homicidal thoughts and behaviors, is in therapy trying to work out his fascination with morbidity but it proves to be a challenge considering that his mother is a mortician. A local serial killer becomes active John uncovers the perpetrator's identity. He sits on this knowledge out of his own curiosity and has to come to a decision about what actions he should take. Will his homicidal mindset lead him astray or will he expose the killer?

This is a clever little film. It isn't an ordinary serial killer film where we see law enforcement frantically trying to find the killer before he has an opportunity to kill again. In fact, we see very little law enforcement throughout the film. This really stays focused on John.

The pace of this is slow but it helps in building characters and suspense. I thought the actors were great in this. The twist is not one that is not one that is seen in this type of film and I like that.

If you are looking for something a little different check this out!

I watched the movie (most of it) because of the rating. I'm pretty tolerant and would usually ignore plot holes or contradictory behaviour on movies, specially the horror ones. But this one took the cake. Almost every single decision the main character takes is just silly. The way he reacts is just too farfetched to ignore it. Every time I was like "ok, maybe the film will get better" but no, it was the opposite.

Overall, I found I am not a serial killer to be pretentious, one of these movies who think it is smart and artie. It is a terrible combination of bland and incoherent.

I rarely write a review.

Sometimes I feel like I've gone through all of the good movies (especially so with horror), and I find myself taking chances on anything out of desperation. 95 out of 100 of these dvds deserve to be burned instead of mailed back, just out of public concern. This isn't one of those. What a good film! Feels like old school horror. Not so heavily CGI'd that it feels like a Windows screensaver. It uses effects sparingly and carefully, relying on tension and pace to whip up the dread. Also nice seeing something that's not formulaic, for once I couldn't predict the story. The cinematography is a pleasant mix of throwback and contemporary. The town used as the setting and the way the camera explores and films it is incredible, and makes this a fully realized and believable environment. The cast couldn't be improved upon. Max Records is great in this film. A gifted young actor, you feel like you're discovering secrets and murders alongside him. We are interested. We are dialed in. He is believable, playing someone who's supposedly incapable of empathy, going from a detached investigator to fully invested and concerned had to be a tightrope and he walks it well. Now onto Christopher Lloyd. If I had known he was in this movie, I would have skipped it. Not because he's a bad actor, but because I was under the misassumption that he was more or less a one trick pony. Wrong! So glad I was clueless. I feel like every role since Back to the Future has been some variation on Doc, and assumed that was his comfort zone. Now I see he's been limited or typecast one, because he's scary in this. Actually menacing. If you had told me that was possible I wouldn't have believed it. He rocks. Max rocks. This movie rocks. Sometimes terror is the best therapist.

It was a rather unusual film. As it continues and it appears a bit ordinary but then what is happening seems rather silly. But gradually a very strange story emerges as the killer doesn't seem the usual at all. I don't want to give away the end but everything makes sense, also I'll mention that the song at the final credits is Norman Greenbaum and Spirit in the Sky. It even made me smile. And many will be very pleased to see Christopher Lloyd, specially, I imagine.

We saw this in the theater yesterday (luckily we have one that shows non-major studio movies). We recognized many places as it was filmed locally.

It has all the elements (drama, comedy,irony, surprise, style) without adding CGI and other effects. In some ways it is a throwback to the sci-fi genre of the 50s and 60s. The plot kept me guessing and changing my mind until the end.

If you have an opportunity, watch this! You will find what quality movies can be. Granted it is not the movie of the year but should be given recognition.

Great little indy film that will make you think twice about who is innocent.

On its own this movie is slow, but interesting enough to keep you watching, however, if you have read the book by Dan Wells, this movie falls short in a lot of places. It leaves out so many important details and the ending is just so wrong. Still, I really wish they'd give it another shot and make movies out of the other novels in this series. Just another example of don't read the book first! Enjoyed the acting of the two main characters though even if their relationship was not properly displayed. Hearing the thought process on John is the best parts of the books and that was completely left out. Bottom line- book wins this one.

I'll start out by saying I don't watch much horror anymore. A lot of it seems so disturbingly graphic and psychotic that I just can't enjoy the movie. I like character, story and atmospheric stuff presented in a way that isn't all squelch, splatter, saw, cut and pop-up scares.

IANASK delivers good chills, with a hint of 'old-fashioned' horror/psychological drama -to my senses. I enjoyed the characters who felt like real people in a real town. There was good anticipatory tension being built up and I liked the slight 'turn' as we discover the killer is not quite what we thought he was -actually multiple turns as the killer also reveals some complexity that is not the norm in foot-stomping, teeth-gnashing and claw-waving monsterdom. The small town setting was moody and atmospheric with great shots throughout.

Probably some would feel this 'horror-lite'. Maybe it is -and that's okay. It manages to find a balance I found pleasing and I enjoyable.

I didn't expect much from this movie from watching the trailer. But there are surprises, twists and tension in this movie. It has its creepy moments but it isn't exactly a horror movie. I think the comparisons to Donnie Drako are justified. It does feel like a classical movie. And you do get to feel for the characters. We enjoyed this.

I never review any films but I felt compelled to after having watched this absolute trash. I honestly have no idea why it has so many good reviews, this film is so inconsistent. The main character is diagnosed as being a sociopath yet he cares for everyone?!?! 90% of the film is filler, none of the scenes push the story forward, a plot didn't seem to exist. An hour into the film I checked to see how long it had been on for, I was gobsmacked it had only been on for 60 minutes, It felt like days had passed. The film was slow and cumbersome, the dialogue was ineffective and didn't contribute to the story line most of the time. I won't put any spoilers in, the main spoiler of the film is the fact it has spoilt my Sunday afternoon, I'm hungover and now I'm angry too. Please don't watch this film, you will just end up like me, bitter, twisted and disappointed.