User reviews

The self help guide to end all self help guides. Great casting and acting.

I'll be honest, I didn't enjoy the film's storyline all that much, but I thought the scenery and film crafting was excellent - well shot and edited.

Although a few reviewers have said they think the topic is very fresh and on point, I must say I found it a bit old hat, particularly as it concludes.

The character development is unsophisticated in my opinion, however that can be forgiven as the film is extremely concise and I think the better for it.

If you enjoy an indie film then go for it.

The title could have been an interesting one, and the story's pacing and camera language were an indescribable failure.The action scenes are also very simple.

Not entertaining the story is boring and very predictable which I could of forgiven if the murders were creative or there had been some dark humour .in short they should of decided what kind of film they were making.

The best part was the end, I'll never get that time back again, only pleasurable part was seeing the actress who played Val, her big eyes and appeal kept me from turning it off.

Don't turn it off early as it's worth watching through to the end. Yes, it is a quirky short story that has been stretched to make a film but it's still watchable. Don't read any spoilers before watching or it will be a bit pointless to watch. If you are a life-coach you won't like it! It doesn't have any meaning to take away. Stuff happens.

This had a promising start, and it grew somewhat into its second act, but when it came time for the third act, it just wrapped up with a cop-out ending that had been done too many times before. In the end ,the characters were under-developed, and the plot actions implausible. That could have served as a clue to what would come by the end, but when that end arrived, it was unsatisfying and felt like I was hustled out of 90 wasted minutes that could have been something better, without spending a single Euro more on budget. Even the stabs at the pitiful absurdities of self-help gurus wasn't nearly as compelling as it should or could have been; in that sense, the writing lacked inexcusably.

A well-written, shot, and acted darkly humorous film.

I just love it when an indie film has all the elements that make it unusually entertaining

If you pay attention there are very, subtle comedy elements in this film..

Unlikeable characters that I just couldn't get on board with. It tried to be off beat and witty but it felt like it was trying too hard.

I was lucky enough to catch a screening of this at Frightfest this year in London. While it wasn't what I was expecting in terms of what I imagined a festival of that name would deliver, I was very glad to have seen it. Right from the beginning we're given an interesting protagonist (Lou) to follow and shortly after an equally deep and complex supporting character named Val. Both actors do a stellar job of bringing them both to life and are well supported by the rest of the cast. The story itself is an original and interesting one and the director masterfully brings us into the world of the film with some excellent choices in terms of how the story is told. The films dark comedic aspects along with just the right character development and intrigue made this a very enjoyable watch. It doesn't look like it was made with a ton of money and one can see where the corners were cut but it only adds to the brilliance, in my view. The script is tight and does only what it needs to do and never at any point was I bored or felt like I was being hit over the head with the point. It has a very interesting theme (which I won't spoil) that actually speaks for itself with very strong attention to detail, top performances and slick direction. If you appreciate low budget independent films then you'll have no reason for enjoying this one. Quite simply a great piece of work.

Had the pleasure of viewing A Serial Killers Guide to Life and Grimmfest this year followed by a Q&A with its director and it's certainly been a film to make a lasting impression.

At first it was near impossible not to see A Serial Killers Guide as the cousin to Sightseers, although the director Staten Cousins-Roe states that Sightseers is not a direct influence. But there's no denying that the films share many similarities with Ben Wheatley's black comedy among them the over bearing mother who pushes our anti-hero to the extreme, the jet black humour even the locations are familiar (although the film was shot around Sussex as opposed to Yorkshire).

But the question is despite the similarities does A Serial Killers Guide stand on it's? And the answer is yes, this is largely down to an excellent cast, leads Katie Brayben as the ditsy and emotionally fragile Lou and Poppy Roe as the cold and unpredictable Val both have such a strong on screen chemistry that I never found the absurdity of the film a distraction but instead a benefit. Val Roe in particular stands out as she is given so much room to be a performer acting with her eyes, mouth, body language and she really seized her chance to show what she can do. The supporting cast are also spot on with reliable character actors such as Sian Clifford, Ben Lloyd Hughes, Tomiwa Edun and the always excellent Sinead Matthews all giving the assured performances we know they are more than capable of doing, even the extras in the laughing therapy scene all did great. This is in no doubt helped by writer and director Staten Cousins Roe being an actor himself.

A Serial Killers Guide to Life may not be anything new but it's a film which stands on it's own two feet and takes you on a bloody journey accompanied by the dysfunctional but always engrossing Lou and Val.

There's no mystery, no suspense, and not much meaning.

The side characters are exaggerated and weird. Even though I'm not into any of the therapies the movies mentioned, I think it might offend people who truly enjoy them and find them useful.

This movie made serial killing bland. A true story would have been nicer.

Tired old grrl pwr five foot woman beats up and kills silly men schtick. Not original. Not funny. Not fun. And yet it's getting ridiculous reviews, which given it's poor ratings all around makes me suspect that these reviews are NOT organic but bought.

What A Serial Killer's Guide to Life attempts is a very tricky balancing act. On the one hand, as a horror, it demands a taut, lean, thrill-ride, on the other, as a road movie, it would suggest a meandering, spiritual journey. That it mostly succeeds in this balance is down to the unfussy, firm hand of writer/director Staten Cousins Roe.

One of its biggest successes is grounding the reason for Lou's odyssey in a carefully drawn, dysfunctional home life with her emotionally manipulative and abusive mother, who is probably mentally ill, herself. This is not just a situation Lou, the protagonist, has to contend with, it's something she has to come home to night after night and live and breathe. This is her 'normal' and it has shaped her into someone with nearly no sense of self worth.

The other success is the big twist in her relationship with Val, her life coach, on this messed up journey of self discovery, which I didn't see coming.

One criticism. The film could have immersed us in much more detail of the self-help/pseudo-spiritual cottage industry so we could really understand more about the psychology, religiosity and sales tactics of what in some cases are legalised mini-cults. This would have reinforced Lou's choices and brought a stronger satirical/social commentary angle. Also, more could have been made of the power shifts between Lou and Val.

But this is an interesting and unusual film with very sharp direction. Worth checking out.

"A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" (2019 release from the UK; 80 min.) brings the story of Lou and Val. As the movie opens, Lou, a twenty-something who still lives at home with her miserable mum, is listening to a self-help/motivational tape while doing a beach walk on the southern coast of England. "Visualize who you want to become!" When Lou attends a motivational seminar, Val, a forty-something woman, reaches out to Lou. "Come see me if you want to change", Val tells Lou. Lou takes her up and next thing we know, they hit the road... At this point we are 10 min. into the film, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this film is written and directed by British up-and-coming talent Staten Cousins Roe. He brings what I would call the British response/version of "Thelma and Louise", where two women go on a journey of self-discovery that leads to very unexpected things. But beware: this is a very British film, with its own style of absurd and/or black humor. In other words, you are not going to laugh out loud. But instead, you watch and become drawn in. The short running time and fast pacing of the film is such that it clips by in no time. The two leads are brought perfectly by Poppy Roe (as Val) and, even better, Katie Brayben (as Lou). You may recall Brayben won acclaim a few years ago for her lead in the London production of "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical".

"A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" premiered on Showtime earlier this year, and I recently caught it on SHO On Demand. If you are in the mood for a very British, very quirky, and very entertaining slice of life, I'd readily suggest you check this out, be it on SHO On Demand or other streaming services, and draw your own conclusion.

Writer, director, editor Staten Cousins-Roe has created a wonderfully dark world as seen through the eyes of Lou, a young woman trapped at home with a frightningly needy mother. Lou dreams of self improvement and a better life. Addicted to self-help guides and guru's Lou becomes beguiled by a mysterious women (Val) who seems to have it all, amazing self confidence, clear life goals and a action plan to achieve them. ASKGTL takes us on a bizzare, original, dark and funny journey in the form of a road trip to enlightenment via a number of grizzly murders. A brilliantly conceived and executed film. In like so many low budget independent films It has attitude and style in abundance thanks to Staten's sharp writing and confident directing as well as a great story together with a brilliant cast who all absolutly nail their roles. To have achieved this in just a 2 week shoot on a modest indie budget takes exceptional vision and talent so expect more gems from this excellent film making team.

A fun movie, not life changing but decent and funny

Thoroughly enjoyed this having come to see it without knowing anything about it. Quirky and tightly written, well acted and filmed despite a ridiculously low budget. I'm not sure why it has such a low rating to be honest!

This unique little film does not get enough credit. Although fairly predictable, the story still keeps you watching and wondering where this little journey will go next.

6.1

Very bizarre, very British, very funny, very good! Quintessentially British filmmaking with a heart. Beautiful shot scenery and a star making performance from Poppy Roe. May be too 'odd' for some but still highly recommended