I Am Not a Serial Killer (2016)

Directed by: Billy O’Brien | 104 minutes | drama, horror, thriller | Actors: Max Records, Christopher Lloyd, Laura Fraser, Karl Geary, Tony Papenfuss, Bruce Bohne, Matt Roy, Emmylou Barden, Morgan Rysso, James Gaulke, Lucy Lawton, Ryan J. Gilmer, Raymond Brandstrom, Anna Sundberg, Christina Baldwin, William Todd Jones

It’s known as the Macdonald triad: three characteristics that 95 percent of serial killers meet. Bedwetting after the age of five, arson and animal cruelty are said to be precursors of murderous behavior later in life, according to the theory. These are characteristics that sixteen-year-old John Wayne Cleaver (Max Records) from ‘I Am Not a Serial Killer’ can tick off piece by piece. Sociopathy is the official diagnosis. To control his behavior, Cleaver imposes strict rules on himself. “If I’m thinking about hurting a person, I’ll just give them a compliment,” he says during a session with his therapist. His side job in his mother’s funeral home also provides an outlet.

Still, the dark side of life beckons. Cleaver peeks at his girl next door and writes papers that make teachers nervous. When horribly mutilated corpses turn up in his village, the teenager suspects that a serial killer is on the run. Cleaver sets his sights on his elderly neighbor Mr. Crowley (Christopher Lloyd) as a possible suspect. He discovers that something strange is going on with the man, so simply calling the police is not an option. And we mean: something really strange. As the teen continues to uncover the truth, his family begins to worry. Is Cleaver slipping and becoming something he doesn’t really want to be?

With ‘I Am Not a Serial Killer’, director Billy O’Brien delivers a successful film adaptation of Dan Wells’ successful young adult novel. Wonderful, a film where almost everything is right. The script manages to avoid most pitfalls. The tone is dark, but not cold, with plenty of room for wry humor. The cast is phenomenal. In all fairness, Cleaver isn’t much different from the average teen (who didn’t fantasize about busting bullies in the past), but Records has him brewing beneath the surface. You believe that there is something wrong with this boy, who is sometimes shocking and sometimes so vulnerable that you want to give him a hug. Records faces fierce competition from Lloyd, who plays one of the most memorable roles of his career as the fragile but dangerous Crowley.

Despite the very limited budget (about 1.5 million dollars), ‘I Am Not a Serial Killer’ looks fine. The decor, a winter hamlet where steam rises subtly from the air vents, is atmospheric. The film is well constructed and at times really creepy, especially when candy-pink embalming fluid is once again pumped into a body. The best thing about ‘I Am Not a Serial Killer’ is the compassion for the characters. Both Cleaver and Crowley struggle – each in their own way – with impulses they didn’t choose. Disgust and emotion alternate in this indie horror. At the end, O’Brien lets himself be seduced into some melodrama and the supernatural element rubs off here and there, but that’s forgivable. Top notch!