5/10
Inept crime thriller
17 March 2008
Being a big fan of thrillers in general, I actually went into this film with some expectations in spite of all the bad things I'd heard about it; and that was a mistake as Mask of Murder, while perhaps not quite as bad as I'd heard, is definitely a bad film that doesn't make the best of its positive elements. The plot is actually a decent base for a film, in spite of not being very original, and focuses on a serial killer who butchers women. The main bulk of the plot focuses on an investigation into the killings. The film kind of feels something like an inept Giallo as we have several Giallo trademarks without much intrigue to string it all together. The reason why, I would assume, many people tune into this film is almost certainly down to the fact that Christopher Lee is billed as the main star; but this is actually a bit of a rip off as he doesn't have a great deal of screen time and he isn't put to very good use in the time he does have. The killer himself fails to generate a great deal of intrigue and the way that the investigation plays out is largely laughable (and not in good way). Director Arne Mattsson fails to give the film much in the way of atmosphere and overall it's a largely lacklustre affair. Still, at least the film does have a plot and it never becomes completely boring - though that might owe more to the fact that it isn't very long rather than the execution.
5 out of 11 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote.
Permalink

Recently Viewed