The Killer Inside Me is a brutal look in to a killer’s mind. Based on the novel by Jim Thompson, this film is dirty and intense and driven by a haunting, disturbing performance from Casey Affleck. This film became controversial when it was first screened at film festivals at the beginning of the year because of the way women are portrayed and the violence towards them. And the violence may be too much for most. Women are slapped, punched, and killed and the film is unforgiving when showing it.
The Killer Inside Me takes place in Texas in the 1950s. Lou Ford (Affleck) is the sheriff’s deputy in a small town, and appears to be charming, sweet and innocent. But what is going on on the inside is dark and full of hate. He just knows how to cover it up really well. When Ford is asked to run a prostitute named Joyce (Jessica Alba) out of town, they end up having a relationship, a sensual, rough, and sexual one. But Lou has to worry about his long-term girlfriend Amy (Kate Hudson) finding out and possibly losing her. Then one night Lou reaches his breaking point and everything comes crashing down and the crumbling never stops for him.
Hudson and Alba take on roles that we have never seen them in before. I have to give credit to both women for portraying women in love with a monster. What they go through as these characters is terrible and unimaginable. But mostly tragic. Their roles are significant to Ford’s craziness, but they are used as human punching bags. Seriously.
Affleck has had some great roles over the past few years in films like Gone Baby Gone and The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford. But in this film, he can switch at the drop of a dime. Ford is essentially two people in one body and it is up to Affleck to portray this onscreen. He does a great job playing a man who knows he is losing it all, and does not care. As the audience, we get to hear some of his thoughts and he knows what people expect out of him and what they want to hear.
Ford has a past and it is a dark one. But we do not really get to dive in to his past at all. We get a few scenes of him as a younger boy, but it only scratches the surface. Ford is almost a mystery, which makes him unpredictable. The violence he uses will catch you off guard because he does not seem like the type, and that is mentioned throughout the whole film. So a part of Ford thinks he might get away with anything because no one suspects him to cause so much harm. He is incapable of it. But, they are dead wrong.
Director Michael Winterbottom (A Mighty Heart) has taken a novel from a pulp writer and is able to bring the violence and cruelty of Ford from the pages to the big screen. Winterbottom stays truthful to the material and never shies away from Ford’s awfulness. And some will be disgusted or will have to look away. But The Killer Inside Me is exactly what it wants to be. It is a chilling story of a man out of control and you are along for the ride. Take it or leave it, this film is relentless and does not hide behind anyone or anything.
“Nature Boy” Brandon Vick is a member of The Music City Film Critics’ Association, the resident film critic of the SoBros Network, and the star of Brandon’s Box Office In Your Mouth. Follow him on Twitter @SirBrandonV and be sure to search #VicksFlicks for all of his latest movie reviews.
Check out the SoBros Shop. Give us money for no reason. Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter @SoBrosNetwork. Watch on YouTube.
