Director – Jacob Ennis (Red River, The Town Without Halloween)
Starring – Jason Crowe (The Devil You Know, Gush), Kayla Perkins (Mr. Buzzkill, They See You), and Dixie Gers (Crazy Fat Ethel, Curse of the Weredeer)
Release Date – 2025
Rating – 3.5/5
I’ve been a fan of Dixie Gers and Jason Crowe for years now. Both are fantastic in front of the camera and I seriously look forward to any film they are attached to. Sometime last year I saw that the two were cast in the horror comedy The Art of Killing from director Jacob Ennis.
I was familiar with Ennis after watching his Halloween flick on Tubi, The Town Without Halloween. I really liked it and kept an eye on this film until I could see it. Not too long ago I received an email about the film hitting Tubi as well. I decided to hold off on watching it then and added it to my October horror binge. It was difficult to hold off that long but I knew it was going to be a fun one to watch.
**Spoiler alert** The film follows painter Leland Moss (Crowe) who hosts a semi-popular show on public access. However, Mr. Moss has a very dark secret. When not painting or hosting his show, he is cruising town looking for someone to butcher. An avid fan and her family win a trip to see the show live and are unaware that they might be his next victims. **Spoiler Alert**
This is the kind of film that you know you will enjoy when you hit play on it. It doesn’t take itself too seriously and delivers exactly what you expected from the title and poster. This isn’t going to be for everyone and the horror hipsters will immediately write it off for not being extreme enough but I seriously loved it.
The acting in this one is a lot of fun. Jason Crowe is trying his damndest to be a Bob Ross clone but every time he talks all I hear is Nice Peter as Mr. Rogers on Epic Rap Battles of History. It’s a fun performance and fits the film very well but I can’t help but hear it. I also enjoyed Kayla Perkins’ performance as well. I didn’t realize she was in the film until it started and she did a great job and she never disappoints. With that being said, I feel like Dixie Gers was very underutilized. She’s a fantastic actress and I would have loved seeing her in a much bigger role or tackling a character that the viewer will actually enjoy.
The story for this one is so fucking simple and straight to the point. It also answers a question that I didn’t know existed. What if one of the world’s most wholesome painter was actually a serial killer? Toss in a little bit of humor and that’s exactly what the film is. I had a lot of fun with the story and pacing but I kind of wish we had a bit more backstory to the Leland Moss character.
Finally, the kills fit the film and look solid but they don’t really stand out. The effects are not that complicated and the kills fit the theme of the film but are not as memorable as they could have been. Overall, The Art of Killing is a movie that I can see myself revisiting several more times. It’s a brilliant idea and I’m glad I live in a world where this exists. Check it out.
