How to Be a Serial Killer

This "movie" took me 2 hours closer to death, but unfortunately didn't finish the job. It got off to a slow start, and was predictable and tedious all the way through. I am a Ted Bundy and Manson girls fan, and was up for this, but any 10 yr old could've written a better screenplay. The actors are likable enough, but they didn't push the premise anywhere near far enough to be funny. It was just sad. I was waiting for some great victims who everyone loves to hate, to get whacked -- clones of Richard Simmons, Bernie Madoff, Rush Limbaugh, the energizer bunny, you name em, but they never showed up. Worst movie I've sat thru for about 20 years, and I have seen them all. Yow! It gets a 2 only for having decent actors. If they ever render you to Gitmo, for having an opinion or some other thought-crime, and show you this movie, GOUGE OUT YOUR EYES with the MacDonalds spork !!!!!!

Offbeat and mostly satirical, this film gets off to a great start and ends with a bang. But the script has a somewhat weak middle section. With gusto, and dressed mostly in black, cocky motivational speaker Mike Wilson (Dameon Clarke) appears on a dark stage and presents us with his "ten easy lessons" on how to get more out of life by being a serial killer.

A narrator begins the TV infomercial. "Is it hard for you to get up in the morning? ... Well don't despair, because Mike Wilson can help you. Mike's unique formula has helped millions of people ... Since becoming a serial killer, Mike has achieved a level of success ... he never thought possible. And now he's going to share his secrets with you in this amazing life-changing seminar". Marvelous.

The plot alternates between Mike's on-stage lessons and his field experience mentoring a young nerdy-looking video store clerk, Bart (Matthew Gubler). Together, as buddies, they excise a number of people whom they take a disliking to. Trouble is, their victims don't really deserve their fate. I would have preferred people who really measured up: a Wall Street swindler, some crooked politician, a rapist, a CEO whose company products hurt innocent people, for example.

At various points in the plot, a psychiatrist, who talks directly to viewers, imparts some legit background information on serial killers. Which contrasts nicely with Mike's false "perception is reality" creed.

I like this film less for its comedy (though the beginning is funny) than for its originality and thematic depth. Clarke and Gubler are well cast; and their performances are fine. A digital, high-definition camcorder captures the visuals; and with characters occasionally breaking the fourth wall, the film conveys a documentary look and feel.

Most of the film is satirical and meant as black comedy. But in the final few minutes the film turns serious, as it communicates a profound sense of fatalism, by way of an amazingly potent rendition of an old gospel hymn and the stark visuals of a man entrapped by delusion.

Just finished watching How To Be A serial Killer and to be honest it was a disappointment. I'm pretty sure they got their inspiration from a Belgian movie C'est arrivé près de chez vous (Man Bites Dog,1992) from Rémy Belvaux, a movie that is by the way much better, I recommend you watch that one instead and find out for yourself. That said, How To Be A Serial Killer tries to be funny, dark humor (normally my favorite), but it's just not working. The acting wasn't great either, certainly not towards the end. Anyway, just watch the Belgian movie if you want good mockumentary on the same subject spiced up with some real effective dark humor.

I don't even remember when I laughed. That is not a good sign when the good jokes aren't even memorable.

Now, understand that I have nothing against this movie's premise. A comedy about a serial killer could've worked, as could a movie analyzing a serial killer's delusion about himself and what he does. However, this movie tries to be both. As such, it was impossible for me to take the serious bits seriously due to the attempts at comedy and the comedic bits aren't exaggerated enough for me NOT to take them seriously. If you want to be comedic, be comedic. If you want to be serious, be serious. Don't try to meet halfway. The only point where I started taking the film completely seriously was at the end during the climax, and even then I didn't like what I was seeing.

While I held high hopes for this movie at the beginning thanks to its title, those hopes were quickly dashed when we were introduced to our resident serial killer, Mike. Now, nothing against the actor, but in a comedy with as dark a subject matter as this, there is no place for people. And that's my main problem with Mike: the film tries too hard to portray him as a normal person while forgetting that comedy comes from the abnormal, the twisted, and the weird. Mike wasn't any of those things. He was just "normal", and as such, the movie's attempts to portray his character comically fall flat. Then again, maybe I was supposed to take them seriously, but because of the unclear tone the movie had I was unsure whether I was supposed to laugh or be horrified. Most of the time I was horrified.

Despite that, while I might not have liked this movie, I let it keep two additional stars on the merit of its premise and the fact that while the problems in this movie are big ones, they're hardly rage-inducing.

And please, if you're going to make a movie about a serial killer, go full-bore. Don't try to meet the two ends of the spectrum halfway.

The tone stays consistent and light and fun throughout the film while keeping its message direct and overt. It's on the nose and it's meant to be, it doesn't take itself seriously and I love it! I was astonished that this was the least popular movie on my watchlist. The acting is solid, it has its audio mixing issues but aside from that I love this movie, this is one I will be recommending and putting on at parties.