HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 15: HENRY - PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER (1986)

There are horror movies that scare you. There are horror movies that make you laugh. There are even horror movies that pull on your heart strings. And there are those that disturb you. These latter horror movies make you feel dirty and disgusting just for watching, like peering through a window of pure depravity. You feel as if your soul could use a good rinsing afterwards. It's probably a good practice not to watch these kinds of films too often. But any good horror marathon needs at least one of these to get you off the couch and turn off the television for a while. My friends and I call this particular sub-genre of horror "Soul Crushers."

Not to oversell this too much, HENRY: PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL KILLER is a horror film of the "soul crushing" variety. Starring Michael Rooker in his feature film debut, well before he was Yondu in Marvel's GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY, and Tom Towles before he became a featured player in Rob Zombie movies. In fact there are a lot of elements about this movie that seem to have seeped in Rob Zombies films, especially the DEVIL'S REJECTS. After seeing this movie I feel fairly certain this is reason why Rob Zombie employs Tom Towles so often. So without further delay...

THE PLOT

Henry is a serial killer living in the city. He lives in an apartment with a man named Otis, a former convict on probation. One day Otis brings his sister to the apartment to stay for a while. Unbeknownst to either Otis or his sister, Becky, Henry often goes out at night killing. One night Otis and Henry meet with two women. Henry kills both women while Otis watches. Otis realizes he has a taste for killing too. Henry begins teaching Otis how to kill and the two go on a series murders together. How long can the two of them keep killing before someone notices? And what will Henry do when Otis sets his sexual desires on his sister, Becky? Will Otis be Henry's next victim? Or is a worse fate in store for the two killers?

THE GOOD

Authenticity. Ever wondered what a killer, a real life killer, is like? Look no further. If you are a normal human being, by that I mean not a serial killer, you will have a hard time relating to these characters because they are so alien from anyone like yourself. The acting and portrayals of these characters is stark and frightening. They clearly don't think like you or I do and the actors, whom I'm sure in real life are quite nice people, are chilling in their performances. Michael Rooker has played some dark characters in his day but Henry is easily the darkest depths he's ever gone.

Photography. The movie is shot with very direct camera angles, nothing artsy or extravagant. This style of filming reinforces the gritty nature of the story. It's crude. It's dirty. It's disgusting. And it only adds to the vile experience of watching this movie. There is a portion of the film shot with a handheld camera, a videotape recorder, and these sections are even rougher. There is a particular scene with Henry, Otis, and Becky all dancing while recording themselves. The scene goes on for an extended period of time and exemplifies the uncomfortable feeling of being with these characters.

THE BAD

Painful. Like I described earlier, this film is hard to watch at moments. This is actually a strength of the film rather than a weakness. If you're like me you'll find it a struggle to keep going on. Everything about this film is designed to make one feel uncomfortable and in that endeavor, for me personally, the filmmakers succeeded. But it is that very feeling which is the essence of this particular kind of film. Call it what you will, but this film really does show that darker perverse side of humanity that most of us, if we're lucky, can't relate to.

THE VERDICT

Sick. Twisted. Wrong. These are some of the adjectives I'd use to describe this movie. It is well done and very effective in making you feel ill at ease. To be perfectly honest, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer is not a horror movie I found enjoyable nor one I'd ever consider watching again. Once was enough. But isn't that the point of these kinds of films? They're not supposed to make you feel good afterwards. Exciting? No. Entertaining? No. Brutal and disgusting? Yes. Scary? Yes. I watched this movie because I'd never seen it before and it ranks high many lists of the scariest movies. What is truly scary about this film is that there probably are people just like the ones in this movie in real life.

Overall Ranking: 7 out of 10

Rated high for effectiveness NOT for entertainment value

 

Nude-O-Meter: 5 out of 10

We don't often watch these kinds of films but if you liked films such as the list below then give this one a try.

Films similar to Henry

THE DEVIL'S REJECTS

I SPIT ON YOUR GRAVE

CANNIBAL HOLOCAUST