Joel

Movies about serial killers, it's a good subject and when it's well done they can have a big success, but in this case it's a failure, not worth watching. A story about New York's famous serial killer Joel Rifkin sounded interesting but it turned out to be a borefest. The murders are all badly acted, looked completely fake. None of the actors will ever win an Oscar, I can assure you that. The directing wasn't great and the cinematography wasn't of good quality. As for the plot they could have made it so much more interesting, instead you get a lame story about every murder, all basically the same boring images, shot way too long so they become automaticly boring. And when even the murders look fake there is really nothing good left in this disappointing movie. I would skip it.

Ive watched alot of serial killer/true crimes movie and this was absolutely one of the best ive seen. The whole vibe of the movie is dark and reflects the mood of Rifkin perfectly. Ive seen a couple of interviews with him and the calm,rational way he talks about what he's done makes the crimes he commited even worse. The movies director and writer have done a tremendous job. I hope there will be more from this guy in the future!

"Joel" (2018) is presented as a film of the infamous Joel Rifkin case, and it is precisely here where its greatest (and only) strength lies: in its faithfulness to the true story. Rifkin, known for his heinous crimes, is a character who has left an indelible mark on American criminology, and the film, in many respects, accurately captures the events surrounding his chilling life. However, despite this approximation to the truth, "Joel" makes unforgivable errors that dilute its impact.

One of the most serious and unacceptable changes is the omission of what Rifkin felt for his sixth victim. In real life, Joel Rifkin had fallen in love with this victim before killing her, a crucial detail that the film completely glosses over. This omission is not only a narrative slip, but it removes a significant layer of the killer's psychological complexity, reducing an important part of his humanity and motivations. Ignoring this aspect is an unforgivable fault and diminishes the depth of the character, leaving a feeling of shallowness that cannot be forgiven.

Beyond its adherence to the facts, "Joel" fails in almost every technical aspect. The cinematography is poor, with inconsistent lighting that oscillates between flat and inexplicably dark, making it difficult at times to visually understand the scenes. The script, while attempting to capture the essence of the events, feels clumsy and lacking in rhythm, with dialogue that fails to convey the tension and horror inherent in Rifkin's story.

As for the performances, Arnold Odo, who plays Rifkin, is simply not up to the challenge. Contrary to opinions that praise his performance as deep, Odo delivers a stiff and nuance-less performance. His facial expressions are limited, and his ability to convey the character's inner anguish is lacking. The lack of depth in his performance turns Rifkin into a caricature of himself, stripping him of the psychological complexity he should have.

Director John R. Hand, unfortunately, doesn't help either. His direction is erratic and lacks a coherent vision. Scenes feel disconnected and poorly put together, with editing that abruptly jumps from one moment to the next without building a solid narrative. Hand's inability to manage the film's pace and properly direct his actors makes the film difficult to follow and even harder to enjoy.

In short, "Joel" (2018) takes advantage of the grisly real-life case of Joel Rifkin to draw in the audience, but fails miserably in its execution. The omission of key elements of the true story and the poor technical and artistic quality make this film a disappointing experience.

I do like the movie.. Joel is an interesting man as monsterous as he is... The objectivity of how he as a person developed down the line into who we know Joel as is incredibly well done.. Very often the story is told to emphasize the dramatic perception that they just ARE monsters.. not they end up the monsters we know when they're caught... I have one major major criticism... The narrator/actor is portraying Joel Rifkin the person in first person.. not a character, and not reading a manuscript of his interviews.. He needed to BECOME Joel.. He IS the New York Ripper... And this actor just simply read as generic person X. Joel has a way of talking, and importantly his NY accent... that's a part of who he is... You miss a lot neglecting to add those details.. attitude, tone, showing lack value of the lives he took, the sense of his inner battle trying to convey his actions in an understandable way with no understanding himself.. Whether actor or director.. that was a big fail... it's hard to hear the narration in this movie in that bland young guys voice and tone and try to dive into Joel's mind and ride through that mental battleground of a person he was.... That voice did not sound like it had any relation to what was playing on screen.. It pulled you into the story about as much as an entry level job's employee training video does.. If your interest is the visual representation of real life Joel's actions.. this movie is great... but if you wanted to not only know what he did, but also dive into their dark minds to try to connect and understand it. this isn't that...

This film is very funny if you view it as a documentary about Nick Mullen. The resemblance both physical and mental is delicious.