Director – Caspian Tredwell-Owen
Starring – Joey Pollari (The Inbetweeners), Gabriele Angieri (The Old, Old Story), and Emily Fradenburgh (Horror House)
Release Date – 2012
Rating – 3.5/5
Tagline – “Attention is power”
When I was in high school I developed my love of no-budget films after watching years of 80s b-movies. This started with the jump from VHS to DVD. When the local video store started grabbing titles on DVD I noticed a huge jump in his horror section going from big budgets flicks to no-budget flicks I had never heard of. After renting a few I was hooked and have been following the indie scene ever since.
When I started writing reviews on the blog a few doors opened up and I was taken deeper into the indie scene. However, once I started writing for Horror Society I was fully submerged in the indie horror scene. Most of the time, at least 99% of the time, I get films to review that were made on just a few thousand if that. These films are usually fun and filled with heart. With that being said, I sometimes get films that have a much bigger budget. These films usually surprise me and catch me off guard.
I recently received the film Profile of a Killer for review. I knew nothing of the film other than what the press release told me. The film looked fun so I popped it in…and it blew my mind.
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a killer profiler named Saul (Angieri) as he investigates a series of murders. The bodies have been horribly mutilated and the police are baffled so they call him in. While in his hotel room he receives a knock at the door late at night and it is a mail carrier delivering a package. He thinks the driver and shuts the door. He opens the package and discovers an amputated arm inside. He realizes that the mail carrier is the killer he is looking for. He opens the door to give chase and the killer snags him.
He awakens in an old farmhouse to the killer, a teenage boy named David Jenks (Pollari), cooking him eggs. David is a young boy that craves attention and wants Saul to profile him while playing games with his captive. While this is taking place the police is frantically searching for the killer before he goes too far and kills Saul. **Spoiler Alert**
Some may say that horror is my element, and I would agree with that, but I would have to say my favorite area is the indie micro-budget flicks. I hardly venture to bigger budgeted films but when I do it is usually a treat. It is even rarer for me to tackle the drama and thriller genres. Usually when I check those out I never enjoy myself because the films are too complex and go over my head. Profile of a Killer looked fun but I was afraid it would be one of those films that require too much thinking and not enough entertainment. However, Profile of a Killer was nothing less than an enjoyable movie watching experience.
The acting in this one is a little uneven. Joey Pollari and Gabriele Angieri are absolutely amazing. Both were a force to be reckoned with in every scene they were in. They both fed off each other and made this film memorable. I did a little looking on imdb.com and was fucking shocked when I saw Angieri had not starred in more films. This man really needs to be in front of the camera. I also enjoyed Pollari and I think this young man has a long career of acting in front of him. The remainder of the cast was nowhere near the level as these two gentlemen.
The story for this one is simple and very effective. With that being said, it should not be brushed off just because it is simple. The film flowed well and never took you where you thought it was going to take you. The film does offer some slow scenes but the dialogue and character interaction picks the pace up.
Finally, the film lacks on screen deaths but more than makes up for it with outstanding special effects. The dead bodies look fucking fantastic and rivals any modern horror flick. Overall, Profile of a Killer is well crafted thriller that will stand out for years to come. I highly recommend this one!
