The movie tells the story of a man who has been known in the media as the 'Lipstick Killer'. In reality, there was a serial killer who was given that nickname and because of this, people often think that the film is based on the same serial killer. However, this is a common mistake as there is no correlation between the two.
As all serious killers generally suffer from a personality disorder, namely Antisocial Personality Disorder and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, it is the ones who suffer from Borderline Personality Disorder and Schizotypal Personality Disorder that are generally more self-destructive, gruesome or partake in bizarre rituals such as self harm. Because of this, the movie is based on true crime criminology profiles of real life serial killers - mainly those of which who suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder, such as Jeffrey Dahmer, who was apprehended merely a couple of years before the film was made.
The movie is stylized and artfully shot on 16mm film to add a more realistic feel to it.