I Am Not a Serial Killer is being marketed as a thriller, which is a bit misleading. The film is more or less a thriller combined with an offbeat comedy. Think John Dies at the End mixed with Horns and a dash of Jeepers Creepers. If that sounds like something you would like then you should definitely check out I Am Not a Serial Killer when it sees a release (hopefully) later this year.
Sixteen-year old John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records, Where the Wild Things Are) has been diagnosed as a sociopath by his therapist Dr. Neblin (Karl Geary). He spends his days obsessing over serial killers and his nights helping out his undertaker mother (Laura Fraser, Breaking Bad) embalm corpses in her mortuary. Always surrounded by death, he lives by rigid rules to keep himself “good” and “normal”. To top things off, there has been a serial killer offing people fairly regularly, retaining a different organ from each victim for himself. John eventually comes to suspect that his neighbor Mr. Crowley (Christopher Lloyd) may be that very same murderer, so he begins to stalk him in an attempt to confirm his suspicions.
I Am Not a Serial Killer is an adaptation of Dan Wells’ novel of the same name, and while it is technically classified as a YA novel, the film is no such thing. This is some dark and heavy material that is handled with a rather lighthearted touch by director Billy O’Brien, who chose to shoot the film in 16mm. The grainy look case by the filming style gives the viewer a sensation of feeling dirty while they are watching it. O’Brien also utilizes the cold disparate setting of suburban Minnesota to create a palpable sense of isolation. Every shot feels empty, much like John’s soul.
Records has been on a hiatus from acting ever since 2011 when he co-starred in The Sitter with Jonah Hill, and the now 18-year-old is practically unrecognizable. He nails the role of John and completely sells him as a sociopath with a heart of gold. Nearly every scene features Records prominently, to the point where he carries the movie on his back. Lloyd is also good in the supposed villainous role, but he is given far less to work with than Records and doesn’t get much to do besides walk around and wheeze a lot.
In regards to the plot, the film is a slow burn. It has traces of film noir, but it moves along at a steady enough pace that it doesn’t feel boring. One thing it does well is avoid the whole “why doesn’t he just call the cops?” conundrum that so many of these types of movies (Rear Window, Disturbia) run into. You see, John does call the cops but it doesn’t work out so well for them. Rather than risk more lives, John decides to continue his investigation solo.
What may not sit so well with some viewers is the offbeat tone. As mentioned previously, the film is being sold as a thriller, and while you could certainly call it that, it sort of belongs into its own genre and feels like a blood relative of Don Coscarelli’s John Dies at the End. At no point is the film ever truly frightening, and there is never a real feeling of suspense since we don’t meet any of the murder victims before their demise. It’s not like John is going to die. The whole film is being told from his point of view.
There is also one moment of truly horrendous CGI in the final reel that will immediately take you out of the film. It is a moment where less would have really been more, but we are stuck with this CGI creation that is a Shark Attack 3 level of bad. Hopefully they haven’t completed the digital effects yet and will fine-tune it later. Fortunately for the film it keeps the use of CGI to a minimum and while the film isn’t gory, per se, the few shots of human viscera are all done with practical effects.
The ending is where I Am Not a Serial Killer goes off the rails a little bit. I wont go into spoilers, but the problem lies in the fact that we have spent so much time with John that when the film tries to shoehorn in character development for Crowley at the last minute it doesn’t feel earned. Maybe that is something that was developed better in the novel, but it doesn’t work as well on screen.
All of that being said, I Am Not a Serial Killer is so original in its narrative that you can forgive it for its shortcomings. It’s not the next big thing in horror, but it’s a unique, quirky little film that certainly merits a watch.