SPOILERS AHEAD!
I gave this a go after being recommended it by a friend and after watching 'Extremely Wicked...' and 'My Friend Dahmer' the night before, it seemed fitting to round off the weekend with one more serial killer film.
The premise of the monster in plain sight is hardly a new one but what The Clovehitch Killer gets right is the sheer normality of the monster in question here. Don is a normal, loving, God-fearing, Scout leader Dad who hides a despicable side to his psyche; one that manifests itself through his propensity for murder but one that has always remained hidden to the world. In this respect, the film gets it right; here is a man to be trusted by all who know him but who is anything but trustworthy.
What it gets slightly wrong is that when Don finally reveals his true, horrendous colours (long suspected by his son) via his actions, the evil of his character isn't quite realised. Even in the very act of murder, the monster that the film promised isn't fully delivered. This guy is pure evil, sure, but I didn't celebrate his downfall the way I should have. Ultimately, I didn't care enough about him getting caught and I wasn't suitably moved by his son's act of redemption to feel like the film had done its job.
The Clovehitch Killer is well scripted and written, thoughtfully portrayed and realistically acted. All the required pieces seem to be there to make a fine film but somehow, it falls short. This is a good movie and it's worth a watch but something is missing. Something needs to tie the film together and it isn't there. Maybe a clovehitch knot would do the trick.
I gave this a go after being recommended it by a friend and after watching 'Extremely Wicked...' and 'My Friend Dahmer' the night before, it seemed fitting to round off the weekend with one more serial killer film.
The premise of the monster in plain sight is hardly a new one but what The Clovehitch Killer gets right is the sheer normality of the monster in question here. Don is a normal, loving, God-fearing, Scout leader Dad who hides a despicable side to his psyche; one that manifests itself through his propensity for murder but one that has always remained hidden to the world. In this respect, the film gets it right; here is a man to be trusted by all who know him but who is anything but trustworthy.
What it gets slightly wrong is that when Don finally reveals his true, horrendous colours (long suspected by his son) via his actions, the evil of his character isn't quite realised. Even in the very act of murder, the monster that the film promised isn't fully delivered. This guy is pure evil, sure, but I didn't celebrate his downfall the way I should have. Ultimately, I didn't care enough about him getting caught and I wasn't suitably moved by his son's act of redemption to feel like the film had done its job.
The Clovehitch Killer is well scripted and written, thoughtfully portrayed and realistically acted. All the required pieces seem to be there to make a fine film but somehow, it falls short. This is a good movie and it's worth a watch but something is missing. Something needs to tie the film together and it isn't there. Maybe a clovehitch knot would do the trick.