All God's Creatures

RELEASED IN 2011 and directed by Ryan Charles & Frank Licata, "All God's Creatures" stars Josh Folan as an amiable New Yorker who murders young women in his spare time. His hero is Ted Bundy, which pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Upon meeting a woman at the java joint where he works (Jessica Kaye) he finds himself inspired to change. Tiffany Lee plays the latter's younger sis and Adam Barnett her abusive beau.

This is a serial killer movie that'll probably turn you off in the first ten minutes due to the murderer's misogyny and nasty hobby, but it perks up with the introduction of the woman and the killer's subsequent inspiration. While this is a micro-budgeted movie, costing only $30,000, it doesn't seem like it, except for the lousy sound in a few scenes. The movie shows professional style with a capable cast and a stellar modern rock soundtrack, not to mention the big city locations. Folan comes across as a more serious Jim Carrey and, amazingly, he & the script goad you to start caring for the psychotic slayer. Kaye shows charisma as the girl "forced" to make ends meet anyway she can while, incredibly, remaining pretty chipper about life.

Unfortunately, for me, the movie chooses to wallow in the mud. The filmmakers coulda gone for something radically different; and the second act dares to point in this direction (for which the flick should be commended). Yet the final act opts for the silly 'slasher/horror movie ending' with a theme no deeper than 'birds of a feather.' Nonetheless, "All God's Creatures" is worth checking out if you can stomach serial killer pictures. In tone (and even plot, to a degree), it's akin to a low-budget "Eye of the Beholder" (1999).

THE FILM RUNS 83 minutes and was shot in New York City & Oyster Bay. The screenplay was written by Josh Folan with additional material by Billy Fox.

GRADE: B-