Killer Me
Directed by Zachary Hansen
Starring George Foster, Christina Kew
Vanguard Cinema
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Although a vast majority of the typically under-reaching critics that have already taken on "Killer Me" have compared it (favorably) to psycho creep-outs "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" and "Clean Shaven", I'd have to say that the film sits much more comfortably next to that supremely odd gorefest, Nekromantik 2. Both, perhaps in spite of themselves, are oddly tender love stories about deranged individuals. The only difference is, in Nekro, the chick really was digging up dead people and sexing them up, and in KM, Joseph (George Foster) may only be imagining the brutal crimes he commits.

Joseph is a socially awkward criminology student who pays for his classes by working in the school library. Anna (Christina Kew) is the mousy new-girl-in-town, and Joe's classmate. Even in such leaden circumstances, and even though the two carry themselves with the collective charisma and lust-for-life of a couple of anemic vampire bats, love (or at least like) flourishes between them. He buys her a hamster. She tries to make spaghetti, but fucks it all up. To be honest, this burgeoning relationship seems so natural, and the actors do such a fine job at portraying the doomed lovers, that I actually wished we could skip the slash n' gash sub-plot and just let 'em be happy with one another.

Ah, but we just don't live in that kinda world, do we? Well, at least we don't watch those kinda movies. So, you just know all hell is gonna break loose and shatter their cocoon of love and affection. See, Joe keeps waking up with blood on his hands and on the walls and in his teeth, and all day long he is tormented with flashes of ultra violence that burn through his brain like repressed memories. Or maybe just daydreams, whatever. And the fact of the matter is, there's a serial killer in town- they discuss him (or her) everyday in class. It all leads up to big trouble for Anna and Joe, and although you hope tragedy will somehow allude them...well, it doesn't.

I'm actually unwilling to give a blow-by-blow account of this one, simply because revealing anymore of the plot will ruin the sublime pleasures of seeing "Killer Me" yourself. That's not to say it's got a nerve-shredding shock ending, because it doesn't; rather, it spirals it's way to a decidedly down-beat conclusion in exactly the same natural, organic manner that the awkward pair forged their relationship in the first place. Some people just aren't built to last, and although it's heartbreaking to watch, "Killer Me" rings true with every frame. I don't know when the last time was that I actually found myself so thoroughly involved in the lives of two imaginary individuals.

Of course, the film's hook is serial murder, and sure, there are elements of 'psycho-horror' here- anybody that carries around a straight razor and routinely opens up a Christ-like gash in his side on a nightly basis obviously has a few nasty demons to exorcise- but this one goes so far beyond the standard stalk, slash, rant and rave formula that it hardly seems fair to call it a 'serial killer movie' at all. Hell, it might even be art.

Seek "Killer Me" out. It may not hit a ten on your gore score, but it will still fuck you up, but good.

Bonus materials include a smattering of director Hansen's compelling earlier shorts, and illuminating commentary. A nice package, missing only a companion soundtrack CD- Hansen's original compositions are unforgettable, and a big reason why this film is such a gut-punch.

-Sleazegrinder