Synopsis

Part two of the classic chiller, picking up where the first part left off. Henry rents a room in the home of an unsuspecting couple. It doesn't take long before his old compulsions are forced to the surface as he moonlights in boldly destructive insurance scams. This time, however, Henry is not alone as he exposes the evil beneath his "mask of sanity."

Official Review

In a culture where popular film endorses conservative views of morality, there exists in the bloody underground of independent horror cinema a dangerous breed of celluloid. These films stare too far, too deep into the abyss, striving for genuine unease and lingering dread, not simple shock or splatter. In its simplistic, unadorned approach to violence, amoral presentation of a likeable serial killer, and decidedly naturalistic presentation of violence, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer was such a film. Loosely based on the confessions of serial killer Henry Lee Lucas, and filmed in 28 days on a $11,000 budget, Henry dismayed censors with a casual approach to murder and non-judgmental treatment of a surprisingly likeable killer, who calmly enthuses about killing hookers while eating french-fries. Employing deceptive gorilla tactics that popular cinema would never allow, McNaughton toyed with expectations fostered by an audience weaned on predictable plot formula. Henry whispered with disconcerting nonchalance one moment, yelled with bloody fury the next. Originally completed in 1986 after just four weeks of filming, the MPAA held back its release until 1989 when it debuted video. It was than slapped with an ‘x’ for its “moral tone.” …Read More