Henry Saw: The Killer Inside Me

...Now this is a dark film


Michael Winterbottom's The Killer Inside Me is an incredibly faithful adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1952 novel. As a result, the film contains some of the most brutal scenes I've ever seen in a movie. Casey Affleck's performance as Lou Ford, the sociopath lead of the film, is one of the more chilling character portrayals that I can remember. The book, which Stanley Kubrick called "probably the most chilling and believable first-person story of a criminally warped mind I have ever encountered".

This is not a film for everyone...the violence against women, the disturbing protagonist, and the meandering plot for the majority of the film, are all put-offs. The scenes where Affleck beats Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson are nearly impossible to sit through. Affleck is great in the lead role, one wonders why Alba and Hudson agreed to be in the film, and all the supporting actors are stylized but solid.



The film drags during the first half, there's too much puffed up interigue between Lou and the town sheriff, the town union leader, the town drunk, and the town D.A. It all read better than it shows on screen. The second half, when Lou is trying to cover (and kill) all his bases, is much more interesting. There's a great scene between Affleck and Simon Baker (the D.A.) that is almost worth the price of admission.

This is not a film I recommend, it's just too much of a task to watch, but it is not without merit. As an adaptaion, a character study, and an actor's showpiece...it really works. Winterbottom does not impress, nor does the editor Mags Arnold, and the film plays much worse than it really is.

Don't seek it out...but don't avoid it...and when it is inevitably on IFC you should check it out.

Grade: C+

Best Scene: When Casey Affleck and Simon Baker face off in Lou Ford's bedroom.