User reviews

I caught this on IFC the other day (Thank God for that channel). I was blown away. Although the cast is relatively unknown, they do an amazing job of following one man's descent into madness, and the chilling effects on those around him. I am really perplexed by all the "controversiy" that surrounded this movie, yet torture films like SAW III and Hostel don't ruffle any feathers. Although disturbing, Charming Billy is a story, not just a bunch of scenes where naked women are cut to pieces, brain surgery is performed with drills, and everyone is basically a little dumber for watching them. Catch this hidden gem if you get a chance.

This independent, art-house film saw limited release in 1999-2000, but is not to be missed. It contains a powerful mix of tension, pathos, and social despair, as the lead character, Billy - a good person with too much stress from too many everyday problems, slowly succumbs to the difficulties of life. While not an easy film to watch, which is certainly why it missed the big theatres, it is an excellent film that achieves all it strives for, and is recommended to all fans of the independent genre. Let's see more films from these filmmakers.

And I don't mean Eli Roth Hostel sick. Nine year old boy seen through a sniper scope sick.

Charming Billy is about an "ordinary man" who lives an "ordinary life" in a small "ordinary town". The scenery is ordinary, but Billy himself is not. With the tragic loss of his mother and his fathers own sick twisted way of showing his son he loves him, Billy Starkman has grown up and lived his life without truly knowing what an ordinary life should be. And how would one deal with that? Well randomly off people from a water tower, of course!

The problem with his flick is it just didn't always add up. The acting was poor in crucial scenes, and fair in those where an over-the-top performance would be acceptable. Nothing about this film was entertaining, touching, scary...it just took up time.

I saw this film at the Inaugural Durango Film Festival in March 2001. The controversial subject matter in CHARMING BILLY is well executed, no pun intended. Great acting from every performer. Nicely paced film. I hope to see more work from these filmmakers in the future.

Billy is charming, easy going, and scary. You don't see that right away, but from the very beginning you sense something about him, you just don't know what it is. The whole movie is a tribute to the talents of writer/director, Mr. William Pace.

It's not often someone puts together a movie that is pitched like a Stradivarius and played like a Wagnerian symphony. You're hooked from the beginning and while throughout the film you're given a breather at just the right places, you don't fully relax until the ending.

It's a wonder to me why this film wasn't picked up by a studio, but I firmly believe they missed out. You'll have to buy the video but it's well worth the cost.