Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer

• Sometimes, the best film is a film with no plot. When it just studies life, rather than having a certain message or theme. This definitely falls into that category. There really isn’t a lot that happens. It’s just Michael Rooker going around killing people, and somehow, this is more disturbing than most slasher films made today. It definitely has a very corny vibe that a lot of older slasher films have, such as ‘Friday the 13th’ or something along those lines. The quality of the physical film, along with the cheesy score that reeks of the 80’s, definitely makes this memorable and more down to earth. In a way, this feels like a documentary. It’s not, nor is it shot in a documentary way, but by the time the film is done, you feel mentally drained and….experienced. Like you helped commit the crimes. You walk in Henry’s shoes for the whole film and experience most everything first hand. Like I said, there’s no central plot, and not much character development. It is, quite literally, the portrait of a serial killer. How one works. How one thinks. Conceptually, it’s great, and was executed exactly how it should’ve been. The only downside is that it might feel a little slow because again, it’s just about life, but it’s still awesome. Disturbing, but awesome. Overall, it is a little silly at times, but still has some moments which are hard to sit through. I would recommend it to all horror fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!