Tag: serial killer

The Postcard Killings (2020, dir. Danis Tanović)

A detective crosses Europe on the trail of serial killers responsible for his daughter’s death. Tickbox post-Lecter thriller (from a James Patterson novel) held together by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and – initially – some strong moments. It collapses, though, under the weight of ho-hum twists and a throwaway ending.

Here’s the trailer.

Monstrous (2020, dir. Bruce Wemple)

Searching for her long-missing friend, a young woman ventures into remote upstate New York. A confused film, bungling simultaneously Bigfoot horror, serial killer thriller, and gay romance. Slow to start and falling apart at the halfway point, this is messy, leering, but too dull to be infuriating. Not great.

Here’s the trailer.

The Silencing (2020, dir. Robin Pront)

An alcoholic bereaved father is suspected of being the serial killer who might have taken his own child. Autumnal thriller with a downbeat tone and some good ideas. Perhaps a touch brisk in its storytelling, but unusual moments and interesting details make it worth your time.

Here’s the trailer.

Urban Legends: Final Cut [AKA Urban Legend 2; Urban Legends: The Final Cut] (2000, dir. John Ottman)

A serial killer stalks a group of film students. Tenuous (and only vaguely urban legend-ish) sequel that has fun moments and a couple of neat movie shout-outs, but which is unscary, not gory, is illogical, and has few characters to root for. The whodunnit angle gets lost in the process. A third movie followed.

Here’s the trailer.

Night Hunter [AKA Nomis] (2018, dir. David Raymond)

An obsessed detective and a former judge work together to track an abductor of young women. Messy blend of a hundred different thrillers, bolstered by a great cast doing good work in wintry conditions. Watchable, but curious; the script on paper must have been greater than the end result.