Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Directed by John McNaughton. Starring Michael Rooker, Tom Towles, Tracy Arnold.

Chilling, deeply disagreeable glimpse into the world of a psychopathic mass murderer, played with vacant intensity by then-unknown Rooker. His Henry is a drifter who doesn’t appear to relish killing; he doesn’t do it as an unshakeable compulsion or a byproduct of rage, but simply because it’s something to do to fill the day. His “companions” include an ex-con gas station employee, Otis (Towles), who joins in on the killings, and Otis’ young sister (Arnold), who is intrigued and strangely attracted to the repulsive creature. Director/co-writer McNaughton makes no effort to play it as titillating exploitation, to probe the psychology and back story of its evil subject, or to provide any manner of catharsis to scene after scene of disquieting drama. It’s a raw, ugly, honest profile that horrifies in a way that conventional fright films would never dare attempt, and its visceral effect will no doubt turn off many viewers. The semi-notorious scene where they videotape the brutal massacre of a family that transitions to showing them casually watching the playback is truly unsettling. Debuted at a film festival in 1986, but didn’t get wider distribution until more than three years later later, primarily because of disagreements with the studio (which expected a more marketable slasher-type picture) and the MPAA (who was going to slap it with an X rating); it finally got an unrated, limited theatrical run in early 1990. Followed a decade later by a sequel, made without the participation of the principal cast and filmmakers.

83/100