User reviews

I do like the movie.. Joel is an interesting man as monsterous as he is... The objectivity of how he as a person developed down the line into who we know Joel as is incredibly well done.. Very often the story is told to emphasize the dramatic perception that they just ARE monsters.. not they end up the monsters we know when they're caught... I have one major major criticism... The narrator/actor is portraying Joel Rifkin the person in first person.. not a character, and not reading a manuscript of his interviews.. He needed to BECOME Joel.. He IS the New York Ripper... And this actor just simply read as generic person X. Joel has a way of talking, and importantly his NY accent... that's a part of who he is... You miss a lot neglecting to add those details.. attitude, tone, showing lack value of the lives he took, the sense of his inner battle trying to convey his actions in an understandable way with no understanding himself.. Whether actor or director.. that was a big fail... it's hard to hear the narration in this movie in that bland young guys voice and tone and try to dive into Joel's mind and ride through that mental battleground of a person he was.... That voice did not sound like it had any relation to what was playing on screen.. It pulled you into the story about as much as an entry level job's employee training video does.. If your interest is the visual representation of real life Joel's actions.. this movie is great... but if you wanted to not only know what he did, but also dive into their dark minds to try to connect and understand it. this isn't that...

Movies about serial killers, it's a good subject and when it's well done they can have a big success, but in this case it's a failure, not worth watching. A story about New York's famous serial killer Joel Rifkin sounded interesting but it turned out to be a borefest. The murders are all badly acted, looked completely fake. None of the actors will ever win an Oscar, I can assure you that. The directing wasn't great and the cinematography wasn't of good quality. As for the plot they could have made it so much more interesting, instead you get a lame story about every murder, all basically the same boring images, shot way too long so they become automaticly boring. And when even the murders look fake there is really nothing good left in this disappointing movie. I would skip it.

"Joel" (2018) is presented as a film of the infamous Joel Rifkin case, and it is precisely here where its greatest (and only) strength lies: in its faithfulness to the true story. Rifkin, known for his heinous crimes, is a character who has left an indelible mark on American criminology, and the film, in many respects, accurately captures the events surrounding his chilling life. However, despite this approximation to the truth, "Joel" makes unforgivable errors that dilute its impact.

One of the most serious and unacceptable changes is the omission of what Rifkin felt for his sixth victim. In real life, Joel Rifkin had fallen in love with this victim before killing her, a crucial detail that the film completely glosses over. This omission is not only a narrative slip, but it removes a significant layer of the killer's psychological complexity, reducing an important part of his humanity and motivations. Ignoring this aspect is an unforgivable fault and diminishes the depth of the character, leaving a feeling of shallowness that cannot be forgiven.

Beyond its adherence to the facts, "Joel" fails in almost every technical aspect. The cinematography is poor, with inconsistent lighting that oscillates between flat and inexplicably dark, making it difficult at times to visually understand the scenes. The script, while attempting to capture the essence of the events, feels clumsy and lacking in rhythm, with dialogue that fails to convey the tension and horror inherent in Rifkin's story.

As for the performances, Arnold Odo, who plays Rifkin, is simply not up to the challenge. Contrary to opinions that praise his performance as deep, Odo delivers a stiff and nuance-less performance. His facial expressions are limited, and his ability to convey the character's inner anguish is lacking. The lack of depth in his performance turns Rifkin into a caricature of himself, stripping him of the psychological complexity he should have.

Director John R. Hand, unfortunately, doesn't help either. His direction is erratic and lacks a coherent vision. Scenes feel disconnected and poorly put together, with editing that abruptly jumps from one moment to the next without building a solid narrative. Hand's inability to manage the film's pace and properly direct his actors makes the film difficult to follow and even harder to enjoy.

In short, "Joel" (2018) takes advantage of the grisly real-life case of Joel Rifkin to draw in the audience, but fails miserably in its execution. The omission of key elements of the true story and the poor technical and artistic quality make this film a disappointing experience.

'Joel' (2018), directed and written by John R. Hand, is a film that manifests itself as the ultimate incompetence and lack of creative vision. It is a complete and utter aberration of cinema that not only fails in every technical and artistic aspect, but also demonstrates a total disregard for narrative and authentic representation.

From the first frame, the film sinks into a sea of endless errors. Hand's direction is a brutal exercise in mediocrity. Every shot seems to have been designed to torture the viewer, with framing that not only fails to create tension, but exacerbates the sense of hopelessness as he watches the film twist in its own incompetence. The director's ability to ruin atmosphere is so absolute that you wonder if he ever had a shred of understanding of how to make films.

The cinematography is a monumental catastrophe. The lack of color treatment makes every scene look flat and lifeless, while the handling of white balance is a true horror that will dazzle viewers with painful intensity. The close-ups, instead of generating claustrophobia, only reveal an endless series of technical and aesthetic errors that turn every shot into a visual horror show. The incompetence is so manifest that the film becomes a test of how to destroy the cinematic experience through careless production.

The production design is another example of absolute nonsense. Joel's house, with its absurdly modern designer furniture, is not only inappropriate but is an insult to logic. These furnishings not only break immersion, but underline the ridiculousness of the film, which seems to have been made with a total disregard for reality and historical context.

The sound is a disaster of epic proportions. The audio quality is so low that it makes the experience of watching the film even more torturous. Instead of using decent equipment, it seems that cheap tape recorders were used, producing a horrible sound that adds an extra layer of irritation to the viewer. The lack of professionalism in this aspect is so evident that it makes the rest of the production seem even worse.

One of the worst sins of 'Joel' is its total ignorance of the media impact of the Rifkin case. The film completely misses the opportunity to explore the media furor and the role that Joel Rifkin played in public culture as the prototype of the serial killer. Instead of delving into this rich narrative, the film drags itself through an hour and a half of bad acting, abysmal direction, and a pitiful presentation, only to end abruptly and pointlessly.

Arnold Odo, despite his physical resemblance, does not do justice to the role. His non-New York accent is a constant distraction that ruins the minimal immersion possible. The acting feels like a caricature and a mockery of the real character.

In short, 'Joel' is not simply a bad film; it is a total aberration. Every element of the production, from direction and photography to sound and design, is so poorly executed that the film becomes a brutal demonstration of what cinema should not be. It is a film that is not only useless and boring, but is an affront to any standard of quality. The only recommendation is to avoid it altogether and remember that 'Joel' is a painful reminder of how low cinema can fall when incompetence takes over the creative process.

Ive watched alot of serial killer/true crimes movie and this was absolutely one of the best ive seen. The whole vibe of the movie is dark and reflects the mood of Rifkin perfectly. Ive seen a couple of interviews with him and the calm,rational way he talks about what he's done makes the crimes he commited even worse. The movies director and writer have done a tremendous job. I hope there will be more from this guy in the future!

This is a motion picture,containing lots of genres,from sexual thriller and dominant violence style,documentary style,real life drama style,and gives such a profound insight of a serial killers life.it is at time rather extreme, its like you'll not believe it. it called horror movie in the ads,but this is horror far beond what i call horror. its all too cold and premeditated....and would not have been shown on norwegian broadcasters at 6 p.m in the afternoon.

the producers and director have made a bold decision making this movie.

the story about joel rifkin a serial killer with suspected 17 killings on the record, are a narrative styled story, and ''seems ''like its told by himself . and the story is chronologically well told and extremely graphically acted,with semengly real life rapes and strangulation scenes, and lots of sex S/M ,domina and nudity.

i hope no copycats will show themselves after watching this movie, because some of the murder scenes seems very easy to do,and may give someone ''the kick''.also the thorough absence of conciousness and guilt are very scary.

Arnold Odo ,the main actor does a brilliant job,if you like it or not,i felt sick in periods of the film but the acting kept me watching it all. it is definately not a film for minors or the fainthearted, and should not be seen without company of a good friend or parents......its strong stuff!!!!

I have no doubt it was a limited budget. Some scenes seemed a bit drawn out to waste time but if you like true crime or serial killers you'll love this movie. Excellent way to kill an hour and a half.

This film is very funny if you view it as a documentary about Nick Mullen. The resemblance both physical and mental is delicious.