When the notorious “Satanic Slasher” (played by James Preston Rogers) passes through Colby, Kansas, he murders patrolman Mike Archer (Stephen Adekolu) during a routine traffic stop. The patrolman’s wife Jane (Georgina Campbell) witnesses the whole thing and vows to take down the killer.

The Rotten Tomatoes score of Psycho Killer surprised me. It’s not a great movie, but it is hardly as bad as they (both critics and audiences reviews) would suggest. If the expectation was for Psycho Killer to be the next Se7en (Andrew Kevin Walker wrote both movies), then I could see how audiences would be devastated. The writing leaves much to be desired, but the movie’s subtlety does the biggest disservice to the larger story resulting in an almost lifeless experience.

I say almost lifeless because there are a few moments that are surprising. Psycho Killer’s tone reminded me of Smile or even Longlegs. Even the initial death is presented a dramatic almost artsy way. Whereas the most memorable death, involving a couple stuck on the side of the road and a gas truck, is so over-the-top that it looks like a scene from a Final Destination movie. The tone and energy feel like a completely different movie, but I think Psycho Killer would have benefited greatly if it leaned into the camp.

Speaking of camp, Macolm McDowell has some of the best lines as Mr. Pendleton – a satanist priest. He and his followers snort coke, drop acid, and participate in an orgy. It’s all ridiculous; however, it’s the scene where the Satanic Slasher spares the cowardly Marvin (Logan Miller) that’s quite nuanced. The killer seems to know that all of Mr. Pendleton’s theatrics are self-serving and for show, yet Marvin who doesn’t participate in the depravity is seen by the killer as a true believer. While the scene should have lingered given the connection & revelation, the reaction shot is on brand for the character of Marvin.

I won’t spoil the movie’s final act, because I think the escalation works even if the way our characters reunite is contrived. That said, the final showdown is confusing, and the last scene recontextualized everything we’ve been told to this point. Did the filmmaker want the ending to be interpreted as supernatural or a conspiracy theory? The implications are interesting; they’re also the best plot points, but it’s all so downplayed that the information is either forgotten or ignored until the final sequence.

I genuinely would love to see a bigger and better sequel, but Psycho Killer reminded me a lot of In a Violent Nature. Both movies feature a large, hulking slasher who wears old utility masks whose stories unfold at a snail’s pace. However, Rogers’s Satanic Slasher has the more interesting world and lore.

Rating: 2/5.

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The writer of this piece is: Laurence Almalvez
Laurence tweets from @IL1511

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