How to Be a Serial Killer (2009)

Instant Favorite.

Good story, Not enough for a whole film

The first must-see film of the year.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

I don't even remember when I laughed. That is not a good sign when the good jokes aren't even memorable.Now, understand that I have nothing against this movie's premise. A comedy about a serial killer could've worked, as could a movie analyzing a serial killer's delusion about himself and what he does. However, this movie tries to be both. As such, it was impossible for me to take the serious bits seriously due to the attempts at comedy and the comedic bits aren't exaggerated enough for me NOT to take them seriously. If you want to be comedic, be comedic. If you want to be serious, be serious. Don't try to meet halfway. The only point where I started taking the film completely seriously was at the end during the climax, and even then I didn't like what I was seeing. While I held high hopes for this movie at the beginning thanks to its title, those hopes were quickly dashed when we were introduced to our resident serial killer, Mike. Now, nothing against the actor, but in a comedy with as dark a subject matter as this, there is no place for people. And that's my main problem with Mike: the film tries too hard to portray him as a normal person while forgetting that comedy comes from the abnormal, the twisted, and the weird. Mike wasn't any of those things. He was just "normal", and as such, the movie's attempts to portray his character comically fall flat. Then again, maybe I was supposed to take them seriously, but because of the unclear tone the movie had I was unsure whether I was supposed to laugh or be horrified. Most of the time I was horrified.Despite that, while I might not have liked this movie, I let it keep two additional stars on the merit of its premise and the fact that while the problems in this movie are big ones, they're hardly rage-inducing.And please, if you're going to make a movie about a serial killer, go full-bore. Don't try to meet the two ends of the spectrum halfway.

For the most part, "How to Be a Serial Killer" is a sharp, charming, and very funny combination of satire and dark comedy. It's so engagingly performed that one is willing to go along for the ride. Granted, towards the end it actually starts to become more conventional and predictable, but getting there is still a good deal of fun. It never gets that gory, so the less squeamish in the audience shouldn't be squirming too much. What's great about it is how completely our lead character believes in himself and his methodology; the movie is at its brightest when it's making fun of the business of motivational speaking and our merry murderer is offering all manner of lessons in the fine art of serial killing. The filmmaking is overall fairly slick and the kills are done in a rather stylized way.The movie is a solid vehicle for prolific working actor Dameon Clarke, who's done a great deal of voice-over work for video games. He delivers a charismatic, confident performance as Mike Wilson, who wishes to impart his wisdom to a young apprentice, whom he's decided will be meek video store employee Bart (Matthew Gray Gubler of 'Criminal Minds'). Mike teaches Bart everything that he knows, from victim selection to body disposal - not to mention trying to keep a loved one, in this case Mikes' girlfriend Abigail (Laura Regan, "Dead Silence") - in the dark for as long as possible. Their scenes are intercut with those of a psychologist, Dr. Goldberg (veteran comedy character actor George Wyner of "Spaceballs") educating us on the nature of serial murderers.This is spirited, high-energy entertainment with a rather profound wrap-up, which shows that there is more going on here than just the comedy quotient. Clarke and the likable Gubler work well together and the story has enough pacing and cleverness going for it to make it worth recommending to others.Eight out of 10.

Two solid lead actors with great off-beat chemistry are really wasted here.This film was far from boring, but it sadly fell short of it's potential due to a timid, aimless script that failed to push the boundaries far enough. By that, I don't mean adding blood and guts galore, but making the humour a bit more 'oh-that's-just-wrong' daring and perhaps having something to say about societal desensitization or serial killer groupies which may have given the film a bit of focus and a bit more oomph. The set up and structure of the film were good, but the victims weren't vile enough to keep the viewer on the killers side (quite the reverse in a couple of cases) and the script lacked any real wit. Add to this a fairly cheesy musical score and some dodgy sound editing and the end result was just all a tad *meh*. All in all, the points this film scores are for the performances of the two leads, particularly Matthew Gray Gubler who plays the needy, uncertain apprentice to perfection. These chaps need to be on our screens more - they are quality performers.This film was OK. Just don't expect anything cutting edge.

When my buddies asked me to check out the Horror Film Festival this weekend, I did not suspect to view such a modern twist on the traditional "horror" genre. Rather than drinking in the normally comedic levels of blood and gore, this film let the audience laugh with it. Interestingly, it was at its least gory at the most cinematic points, whether it was the entertaining relationship between Mike and Bart, or the conjured fantasies of the former. The acting of both Dameon Clarke and Matthew Gray Gubler were refreshingly believable, given the set up. I call this a darkumentary because that it takes on the form of a crew following around a spontaneous (not quite serial) killer, Mike, and his apprentice/pupil/friend/video store employee, Bart. As with other "mockumentaries," this creation has a tongue-in-cheek tone throughout. Nonetheless, its humor surpasses what has become banal in horror films of a more traditional ilk. I haven't a strong background when it comes to Horror, and was bashful of my lack thereof while at this horror festival, but I recognized this movie as a new breed of horror. I laughed at the sheer inhumanity because the movie was at that level; I did not laugh when Mike questioned Bart's loyalty, nor when Bart hypothesized worst-case scenarios of getting found out. In fact, the characters in this horror might be its most distinguishing element. Most horror films, even Army of Darkness, are carried by a single lead role. In "How to be a Serial Killer," we follow the progression of 2 men, albeit one in the shadow of the other. Thanks to its documentary side scenes, we get a chance to separate the fourth wall in a genre that is rarely looked at as being multi-dimensional. The more I think about this movie, the more I like it. Funny, well written, impeccable blood and gore, and more thought provoking than I had initially felt. I'll say it here, I think this movie could shed new light on what horror is really all about. Apparently Matthew Gray Gubler has somewhat of a following, and I agree that both leading actors are deserving of future roles.