Movie Review: The Killer Inside Me (2010)

THE KILLER INSIDE ME

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
DECEMBER 9, 2010

Michael Winterbottom got the cast right, but with the brutal violence toward the female characters, the director of “The Killer Inside Me” has a large hill to climb to gain a captive audience. Having been openly ridiculed by an audience member at Sundance, Winterbottom delivers a 1950’s novel to the big screen to a chorus of criticism.

In true noir fashion, Casey Affleck plays small-town deputy Lou Ford brilliantly. Affleck adds richness and depth to his character, where even his physical appearance makes him overwhelming and underwhelming all at the same time, a trait of Lou that is transparent from the first hint of instability. Though Lou’s sanity is questionable, he serves as his town’s quiet, nice guy. When Lou gets sent to chase the local whore, Joyce (Jessica Alba), out of town, he ends up developing a passionate masochistic relationship with her instead. Alba delivers a short but insatiable performance that leaves you wanting more.

Ultimately, a murder is committed by Ford, slowly deteriorating his few genuine relationships, including the one with his lover, Amy Stanton, played by the adorable Kate Hudson. Hudson’s role in the film allows her to escape her typical romantic comedies and shed light on her actual acting ability while giving the film just that extra hint of humble stardom. Slowly unraveling, the entire town eventually finds out the true nature hiding inside of Ford, producing an ending that could only come from a 1950s novel.

Look at the film’s cover and tell me it doesn’t look the slightest bit intriguing. Though the extensive grotesque brutality makes one feel nauseous, one must also look past this minor speed bump and enjoy the piece as a whole. “The Killer Inside Me” does offer scenes that challenge most gory horror flicks. Still, those portions ultimately exist in the novel, and Winterbottom takes a leap of faith with the authenticity he brings to the action described in the original written words.

Taking Wikipedia information with a grain of salt, the encyclopedia-replacing website discusses the multiple attempts to get the film off the ground dating back to 1956. Here is a chart of directors that were interested in the movie, along with the actors that were attached:

1956
Director: Unknown
Lou: Marlon Brando
Joyce: Marilyn Monroe
Amy: Elizabeth Taylor
Why it never happened: Monroe’s death in 1962

mid-1980
Director: Unknown
Lou: Tom Cruise
Joyce: Demi Moore
Amy: Brooke Shields

mid-1990
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Lou: Brad Pitt
Joyce: Juliette Lewis
Amy: Uma Thurman
Why it never happened: September 11th, 2001, and the plot appeared too violent.

2003
Director: Andrew Dominik
Lou: Leonardo DiCaprio
Joyce: Drew Barrymore
Amy: Charlize Theron
Why it never happened: Dominik did “The Assassination of Jesse James” instead.

After 2003
Director: Marc Rocco
Lou: Casey Affleck
Joyce: Maggie Gyllenhaal
Amy: Reese Witherspoon

2010
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Lou: Casey Affleck
Joyce: Jessica Alba
Amy: Kate Hudson

“The Killer Inside Me” screams award-winning. Still, with the unfortunate response to the violence, the film will remain a silent cult classic, only enjoyed by those with an open mind to accept the brutal honesty depicted in the movie. Stunning and emotion-evoking, “The Killer Inside Me” is guaranteed to cause discussion among all who dare to view it.