The Killer Inside Me

Since it first screened at Sundance earlier this year there has been a lot of controversy surrounding Michael Winterbottom's film adaptation of Jim Thompson's 1952 pulp fiction novel The Killer Inside Me due to it's graphic depiction of violence against women. It is also central to a lot of what has been written and discussed about the film, something which I think is overshadowing the fact that it's a very competent and well acted neo-noir from a director who effortlessly flits from genre to genre (was I the only person who liked Code 46?), churning out at least one film a year and yet remaining shockingly underrated.

The Killer Inside Me is a faithful adaptation of Thompson's novel, about a deputy sheriff in small town Texas called John Ford (Casey Affleck) who underneath his mild mannered facade is a cunning and depraved sociopath. The story is told entirely from his perspective, so it's not often clear what's going on until later as we only know what Ford knows and even he isn't a particularly reliable narrator. He is tasked with checking up on local prostitute Joyce Lakeland (Jessica Alba) who he quickly enters into a sadomasochistic sexual relationship with despite already being with local girl next door Amy Stanton (Kate Hudson).

Joyce awakens what Lou calls his "sickness", something that through a series of double crosses and blackmail attempts leads him to commit murder, first in an act of revenge and later in an attempt to cover his own steps. But as the bodies mount up there's only so far his confidence and lies can get him.

Casey Affleck is excellent as Lou Ford, after impressive turns in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Rober Ford and Gone Baby Gone he is fast becoming one of the best young actors around today. I've never seen Jessica Alba in anything I've liked before and I don't think Kate Hudson has made a decent film since Almost Famous, but both girls give brave performances here.

There are elements of both Blue Velvet and American Psycho; the feeling that if you scratch beneath the surface of small town America, behind the white picket fences and uniformly mowed lawns there's always something dark and sinister lurking. Ford is also as unreliable as Patrick Batemen and you're never sure how much is real and how much is his perception of what's going on giving the film a constant air of ambiguity, which I think worked well and without there could probably be a more solid argument against the violence and sexual acts depicted.

Overall I found the film to be rewarding, both as a fan of the book and as cinema goer. The violence, I think, is justified. As I mentioned before the film is told entirely from Lou's perspective and he's a misogynistic murdering sociopath - so really, it's not going to be very nice. If you don't think you can watch a film about a murderer (and the clue's in the title) then don't go and see it, simple. For me vapid romcoms, such as the recent Jennifer Lopez vehicle The Back-Up Plan are far more offensive, misguided and misogynistic than anything in The Killer Inside Me.

There was a Q & A with Winterbottom after the screening I attended and he was berated by a couple of audience members on soap boxes who completely missed the point of the film and felt the need to express as much in an ineloquent manner. I thought Winterbottom explained himself well and there is nothing on the screen that isn't in the book. The violence ensures that Ford is never a sympathetic character and to be honest I think that if he'd glossed over the violence he'd probably get just as much grief for making it titillating. We're all so used to seeing stylised Hollywood violence on our screens that we forget how horrible it is. If someone is beaten to death, it's not going to be over with quickly or neatly and The Killer Inside Me shows violence for what it truly is - a deplorable act. Although I have to say, and maybe I'm just desensitised, I didn't think it was nearly as bad as everyone is making it out to be. But I guess a little media hype and controversy can only help the film gain notoriety and a wider audience.

The Killer Inside Me is released on 8th June 2010.