This Terrifying Serial Killer Movie is Now Streaming on Netflix
Serial killer flicks aren’t often my favorite unless they’re doing something unconventional, or at least marginally subversive, with what’s pretty familiar material by this point. Summer of ’84 is terrifying, so it gets a pass, and Zodiac ranks among one of the best procedurals ever made. Never bet against David Fincher (and that includes last year’s The Killer). Often, however, serial killer movies, especially horror movies, follow the same trajectory, and they don’t often surprise me.
But every so often, something comes along that totally blows me away. Megalomaniac shocked me (though trust me, it’s not for everyone), and Trap was a ton of fun with its campy tongue planted firmly in cheek. And then there’s 2018’s The Clovehitch Killer, a remarkable and terrifying directorial debut now streaming on Netflix.
Learn more below:
Per Netflix: A teenager’s picture-perfect family is torn apart when he uncovers unnerving evidence of a serial killer close to home.
The Clovehitch Killer is a fantastic subversion of the “killer next door” formula, and there is one particular scene right before the climax that re-contextualizes everything you thought you knew. It’s masterfully handled and ratchets up the tension in an already suffocating and knife-edge experience. It’s phenomenal stuff, really, and star Dylan McDermott earns his keep. He’s terrifying in the lead. It’ll keep you guessing the entire time, and it’s pretty breathless from start to finish. Not a single frame feels safe, and that’s considerably harder to accomplish in a horror movie, let alone a directorial debut, than you might think.
In our own review of the film back in 2018, we wrote, “The Clovehitch Killer is a slow-burn masterpiece of craft and tension, easily the most technically flawless horror film of 2018.”
It’s a hidden gem for sure, but one you’ve gotta check out as soon as you can. If you’re even remotely interested in serial killer flicks—especially ones inspired by true events—I promise The Clovehitch Killer will deliver plenty of sleepless nights. Director Duncan Skiles hasn’t worked on any feature projects since then, though he did helm the upcoming Neighborhood Watch starring Jack Quaid and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. Better still, it’s poised to release this month!
You can check out the trailer for that below:
What do you think? Any plans to check out The Clovehitch Killer on Netflix? If you do, let me know what you think over on Twitter @Chadiscollins.
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