It is almost unbelievable that "The Killer's Alphabet" came from the same mind that gave us "Sophy" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4322522/) earlier this year. However, it's true: Micaiah Beasley writes, directs and stars in both films, and the one could not be more different from the other. "Sophy" was a nostalgic, warm, nearly satirical take on horror films of the 90's, ending on a twist that made you wonder if the rest of the film had indeed been a satire. I enjoyed the movie, because, despite some shaky direction and dim lighting, the story carried it past the finish line. Here, with "The Killer's Alphabet," is a film of the polar opposite, a film with meticulous direction, lighting and atmosphere--with very little story in sight.
This movie is one of those unfortunate near misses, a film that starts out so well and ends up so weakly that you almost feel that the film would be less disappointing if it were a total disaster. It has an intriguing setup, gorgeous direction, and more time on its hands than it really needs--therefore, it ends up wasting most of that time on all that gorgeous direction, while the story waits backstage to take its turn. Don't get me wrong--the plot occasionally does emerge from its cryogenic sleep. It simply doesn't do it enough.
Here we have a nameless main character receiving scary R-Rated threatening notes from a nameless killer in a PG-13 movie. If you haven't seen the film, I won't spoil all the shockers for you, but I will give you a heads-up about one certain letter. Let me just say it involves erections and castration. I don't believe that, first of all, I've ever seen the rating "For Grisly Violent Content Including Macabre Threats" before, and second, I'm fairly certain I've never seen anything of this sort in a PG-13 flick. I'm not sure whether to give kudos to Beasley for his macabre creativity, or to suggest he go into psychotherapy. Whichever it is, the scene first appeared in the original release, and then disappeared weeks later. Which brings me to the one defining flaw of the film:
This movie doesn't quite know what to do with itself. The director knows what to do with the camera, the actor knows what to do with his face, the editor knows what to do with the footage. What brings the movie down to a just-good level is the fact that "The Killer's Alphabet" can't really succeed in bringing all those separate pieces together into a definable whole. Which makes it a disjointed, flawed, shadowy, and relentlessly interesting cinematic experience.
Again, the direction is fantastic. Beasley's performance is just as over-the-top as always. And many scenes pack genuine suspense, including the aforementioned grisly letter. This film can be watched and enjoyed, with the acceptance of the fact that there are most likely much, much better things we can expect from Beasley in the long run.
This movie is one of those unfortunate near misses, a film that starts out so well and ends up so weakly that you almost feel that the film would be less disappointing if it were a total disaster. It has an intriguing setup, gorgeous direction, and more time on its hands than it really needs--therefore, it ends up wasting most of that time on all that gorgeous direction, while the story waits backstage to take its turn. Don't get me wrong--the plot occasionally does emerge from its cryogenic sleep. It simply doesn't do it enough.
Here we have a nameless main character receiving scary R-Rated threatening notes from a nameless killer in a PG-13 movie. If you haven't seen the film, I won't spoil all the shockers for you, but I will give you a heads-up about one certain letter. Let me just say it involves erections and castration. I don't believe that, first of all, I've ever seen the rating "For Grisly Violent Content Including Macabre Threats" before, and second, I'm fairly certain I've never seen anything of this sort in a PG-13 flick. I'm not sure whether to give kudos to Beasley for his macabre creativity, or to suggest he go into psychotherapy. Whichever it is, the scene first appeared in the original release, and then disappeared weeks later. Which brings me to the one defining flaw of the film:
This movie doesn't quite know what to do with itself. The director knows what to do with the camera, the actor knows what to do with his face, the editor knows what to do with the footage. What brings the movie down to a just-good level is the fact that "The Killer's Alphabet" can't really succeed in bringing all those separate pieces together into a definable whole. Which makes it a disjointed, flawed, shadowy, and relentlessly interesting cinematic experience.
Again, the direction is fantastic. Beasley's performance is just as over-the-top as always. And many scenes pack genuine suspense, including the aforementioned grisly letter. This film can be watched and enjoyed, with the acceptance of the fact that there are most likely much, much better things we can expect from Beasley in the long run.
