My Sweet Killer

What a strange little movie. Very dark and at times oddly funny. Loved the performances, namely the lead character in the film. The score is also a huge plus and something you won't often find with low budget films. All in all a great surprise.

I was searching through a local bargain bin and found a single copy of this film. I purchased it on the strength of the Filmthreat review and was pleasantly surprised that it lived up to the review. Sure it is a low budget film that relies more on the actors than the action but the cast hold their own. The script has a few moments that are hard to follow but the plot comes through if you pay attention and in my humble opinion it is worth the effort. A slow dark thriller. Some of the action at the end could have been choreographed better but i know from experience on sets of B-movies that choreographing action can be tough so I'll let that slide.

This cheap film grabbed me and kept me interested and there was definitely a lot of heart behind the scenes and it shows on screen. If you ever get the chance to see this movie i recommend you watch. Good stuff!

It's always tough watching and judging low-budget, independent films. You can tell that the people behind the cameras had a lot of heart and energy going into this film. Unfortunately, it's not enough here. Nicely shot and competently directed, it's the script and the performance of the lead actor that causes the film's shortcomings; and since both come directly from Kirk Harris, it's ultimately with him my problems lie.

The script, detailing the psychological deterioration of an ex-mental patient, is full of cliches: the loner, sympathetic yet brooding with barely-hidden psychosis; the other loner, another outcast from society who's trying to make friends; the gang-bangers/drug dealers/street urchins who harass the lead character; the delusional character who only the lead character can see, who continually spurs him on to commit acts of violence, which he eventually does, and then...the list goes on.

Kirk Harris is best performing this character when he plays him shy and introverted, as he is at the beginning of the film. I can actually believe that he is Charlie, which is the goal of any good method actor. But it's in the moments when Charlie begins to lose control, when the little smile cracks across his face or he tosses his head in disbelief that Charlie disappears and you can see Kirk Harris "acting". And once you see that, the illusion is destroyed, Charlie disappears and Kirk cannot bring him back.

I applaud the efforts of everyone involved. I think, however, that time and future films will help hone their crafts, resulting in better productions.

It is believed that a young man named Charlie offed his father to avenge his mother and sister as a boy. He's been in and out of institutions, and is crazy for sleeping pills. He eventually has a confrontation with his boss, losing his job, and runs out of a house when he's about to get laid. He's clearly losing control, and is apparently in love with Pasqua, the apartment's previous tenant. Pasqua is his daily fantasy, and other than the thugs in front of his residence, is the only person he communicates with. Charlie has been a machinist, and on the job, he meets a co-worker who's concerned enough to act as an adviser. Charlie's co-worker is his only hope of ever returning to reality.

This film really should be a midnight cult film. It features one of the best performances in film today by its lead character and yet has other far less developed performances. The lead actor exudes a Brando like mystery. The film is painfully low budget but I do like how they used the voices and sounds to fill the lack of visuals. The film is really a case study in watching a person deal with madness and feeling sympathy for someone who is, well a killer.