Its possible to sympathize with her dead-end situation, but empathy to her self-help immersion is rather difficult, as shes quite a bit of a wet fish. But when she looks again, the woman is gone. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019) Rating: UK. Rarely does an independent film really strike cords on all levels but this truly takes the cake. All I want in life are simple home invasion slashers that run less than 90 minutes. The script here is simply too gentle for the subject matter, not least with much of the violence happening off-screen. After they do so, we see the dead bodies of Ben and the attendees, their heads bashed in. And often these targets of the satire seem as though they are barn doors broad enough that they barely need to be spoofed. While the documentary crew within that film know from the start that its protagonist is a serial killer, and Lou only gradually comes to the realization that Vals been knocking off folks as they drive about the British countryside, in both cases, the followers quickly become willing participants in the murders committed by the lead. Very bizarre, very British, very funny, very good! Even though there are a few slow moments, with a run time of approximately 80 minutes, Roes film keeps our attention because it remains focused on the two main characters. | A Serial Killers Guide to Life, arguably one of the best dark comedies to come out of the British Isles in a few years, was recently made available in these United States and Canada on iTunes and Digital HD Monday, 13 January 2020. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a . The theme is also telling us the writer how hateful those life coaches can be and some human being to be so [10] Picked up by Arrow Films for commercial distribution, it was released to digital media / video on demand in the US, Canada, and the UK on 13 January 2020,[1] including the streaming channels Amazon Prime and Hulu and the cable channel Showtime. Firstly, how long you see the end twist coming before its announced. She throws her food and then herself on the floor. Whos played? www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. Pacing of the story was perfect with the editing, absolutely brilliant story telling. The tone is deftly inventive and offers surprises . Depending on whether you give any credence to what the practitioners do or instead, view them as money-grubbing charlatans, your mileage may vary as to how stoked you are for their inevitable demise, but personally, I felt some of them definitely deserved it. He complimented "its two fantastic leads, Katie Brayben and Poppy Roe. This needed to go deeper, darker.& it definitely needed a murderous, wilin' out montage scene. Smart and clever, A Serial Killers Guide to Life is a brilliantly well-executed dark comedy. We all need a little help to become better people, right? Please enable JavaScript on your browser and try again. Its not until later that we discover shes a serial killer. Lou is a poor, pitiful woman that is obsessed with a self-help guru. Thankfully, A Serial Killers Guide To Life never goes as dark as Man Bites Dog, instead taking the idea that, maybe, killing ones idols should be taken literally. Awards She seeks escape from one self-help guru after another, spending her money on their books, DVDs and audio-tapes, though with little or no apparent positive results. These scenarios are all interconnected and drive the story forward, without overstaying their welcome. Watch A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Official Trailer 1. The strength of A Serial Killer's Guide To Life rests on its performances, both of which are individually successful and create a fascinating dynamic when onscreen together. The message behind is hidden n this movie is totally underrated. Outwardly, Lou is quiet, shy, and socially awkward. This is all the more hilarious for being real, I suppose. She later meets the woman, who introduces herself as Val Stone, a self-help teacher who believes she would be perfect for Lou. Addicted to self-help guides and guru's Lou becomes beguiled by a mysterious women (Val) who seems to have it all, amazing self confidence, clear life goals and a action plan to achieve them. A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. We are subjected to way too many scenes where nothing happens other than Lou and Val sitting around talking about things, I just didnt care about in the first place. Repeated viewings of the film only make these narrative choices stand out more noticeably. Sony generously agreed to let us use their F55 (the one used on The Crown), and many location owners gave heavy discounts to help support a local, independent film. Gore hounds may wish for more of the red stuff, but fans of Sightseers (or anyone whos ever been subjected to someones discussion of their rebirthing experience) will find grim amusement to be had here. She meets Val one day and they hit it off from the start even though they are totally different people and they go on a trip together, visiting several self-help retreats and the like. So when strange and strikingly confident new life coach Val (Poppy Roe) suddenly arrives on the scene and invites her on a road trip of alternative therapies, Lou finds the perfect opportunity to leave, and the perfect person to become. I saw this unusual film in Lewes in Sussex where most of the action was filmed. Quintessentially British filmmaking with a heart. There is obvious chemistry between Roe and Brayben that cant be faked. Shes not someone that one would want to meet down a dark alley in the dead of night. This is a film where I didnt know which way it would go at the outset. However, after taking some time to reflect upon it, I really got the sense that Roes influence was more akin to the Rmy Belvaux, Andr Bonzel and Benot Poelvoorde 1992 Belgian film Man Bites Dog. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Sounds interesting, right? Val takes her on a tour where they visit various other self-help gurus and life coaches. Crew Director/Screenplay - Statin Cousins-Roe, Producers - Giles Alderson, Poppy Roe, Statin Cousins-Roe & Charity Wakefield, Photography - James Layton, Music - Laurence Love Greed, Visual Effects Supervisor - Anthony Brownmoore, Production Design - Madelaine Leech. . I thought she did a wonderful job in the role and she is probably the highlight of the film in my opinion. If youve ever wondered what the title characters of Thelma (Geena Davis) & Louise (Susan Sarandon) would be like if they were serial killers, this would be it. Whilst this may be a slightly unorthodox choice, the increasingly discordant and erratic music provides the ideal accompaniment to Lou's rapidly deteriorating mental state. Their roles are vastly different, and the actresses portray these irredeemable characters in a likable way. Cheddar Goblin is my co-pilot. Created by Poppy Roe Poppy Roe. On the one hand, as a horror, it demands a taut, lean, thrill-ride, on the other, as a road movie, it would suggest a meandering, spiritual journey. The best part was the end, I'll never get that time back again, only pleasurable part was seeing the actress who played Val, her big eyes and appeal kept me from turning it off. When we first meet Lou, shes aimlessly walking along a rocky shoreline listening to a Chuck Knoah audiobook. When James Franco made his soap opera debut in 2009, it was as a serial killer named Franco on ABC's General Hospital. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life sports a really feisty premise, but its modest execution is its ultimate demise. Lou Farnt is a meek young Englishwoman with poor self-esteem, who is emotionally browbeaten by her harsh and demanding mother, with whom she lives. Chuck Knoah. Comedy. There is a believability to their respective characters that shines through the performances. https://modernhorrors.com/the-kids-arent-alright-in-theres-something-wrong-with-the-children/. Bravo Mr. Roe for doing just that, the writer, the producer, the director, damn even the editor, absolutely a gem that I would be proud to show anyone looking a good recommendation. www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. By contrast, Poppy Roe comes sharp-tongued and self-assured. But her mother's emotional abusiveness changes her mind. Lou Farnt (Brayben) is stuck in her life, with a dead-end job, no apparent friends to speak of, and still living with her domineering mother (Ball). "A Serial Killer's Guide To Life follows Lou Farnt (Katie Brayben): a 30-something, . 2020. It stars Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball and others. While standing in line at a book signing following a talk by one self-help guru, Lou meets and is awed by the self-assured Val Stone who describes herself as a life coach. Even the stabs at the pitiful absurdities of self-help gurus wasn't nearly as compelling as it should or could have been; in that sense, the writing lacked inexcusably. Not the witty and clever film people are making out, Is someone playing a joke viewers? A Serial Killer's Guide to Life 2019, Comedy/Mystery & thriller, 1h 21m 92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 56% Audience Score Fewer than 50 Ratings Where to watch Rent/buy Rent/buy Want to see Keep. "A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" (2019 release from the UK; 80 min.) Download Watch Now A Serial Killer's Guide to Life 2019 Action / Adventure / Comedy / Crime / Horror Available in: 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB WEB: same quality as BluRay Download Subtitles 18 92% - Critics 56% - Audience 5.0 Similar Movies Please enable your VPN when downloading torrents "[15], The film's writer-director, Staten Cousins Roe, was nominated for the 2019 FrightFest Screen Genre Rising Star Award. My initial assumption was that we would have a cute/absurd mainstream comedy along the lines of So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) or Serial Mom (1994). Most of the films kills are not overly violent, focusing on the end result as opposed to an abundance of gore. The next stop is a "sonic vibration" retreat, where Lou and Val are the only two attendees of the husband-and-wife couple who run it at their large house. "[13] Bryan Yentz of Rue Morgue felt the same way. Val plans their route, which culminates in a visit to Chuck Knoahs country home. Kill off social media influencers, reality TV celebrities or Los Angeles Dodgers fans, and Id be right there with you. Star: Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball. . There is a significant body count in this dark comedy. 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Despite being flattered by the attention, Lou initially can't bring herself to leave home for an extended time for the first time. Serial murder meets self-help in A Serial Killer's Guide to Life - a darkly satirical cross between Thelma & Louise and Sightseers from the creative team behind the award-winning short film This Way Out (Best Comedy, Aesthetica Short Film Festival 2013). Katie Brayben, playing Lou, is possibly better known to Luther fans as Penny Leyton. As a successful artist, when he wasn't stalking Jason Morgan . As the movie opens, Lou, a twenty-something who still lives at home with her miserable mum, is listening to a self-help/motivational tape while doing a beach walk on the southern coast of England. Children at Play! Loser, self-help junkie living as a 'slave' to her deranged mother Overall, I think that the cast is the main reason to see this film and the one thing that helped make it enjoyable in general. External Reviews Don't turn it off early as it's worth watching through to the end. Her mother is appalled by this notion. . Few films come along with a director, actors, actresses, producers, that will give that big wow factor while pitching the project to a major studio. If you appreciate low budget independent films then you'll have no reason for enjoying this one. The various therapy sessions the pair of Lou and Val visit are all astonishingly real: back-to-nature, vibrational healing, rebirthing, and laughter all have their adherents, and after doing some reading up on each, it appears that the words and actions . Note the scene where she picks up a rock and begins to run after a woman. REVIEW: As Vast as Space and as Timeless as Infinity, With an M.Sc. You think you know, but you have no idea. Writer, director, editor Staten Cousins-Roe has created a wonderfully dark world as seen through the eyes of Lou, a young woman trapped at home with a frightningly needy mother. Don't read any spoilers before watching or it will be a bit pointless to watch. Cast: Bella Ramsey, Billie Piper, Andrew Scott. Constantly reminded of her situation, Lou is a small-town girl whos feeling the pangs of being in a rut. 30 something, self-help addict, Lou wants nothing more than to escape her overly controlling mother and the dead-end seaside town where she grew up. Lou Farnt (Brayben) is stuck in her life, with a dead-end job, no apparent friends to speak of, and still living with her domineering mother (Ball). She befriends Val at one of the many self-help meetings she attends and the two decide to take a little trip together. It is somewhat amusing how naive Lou is, in regard to Vals extra-curricular activities, and how long it takes her to realize she is taking life advice from a psychopath. It took me 27 years to finally understand THAT scene in The Shining, 5 Grimm Fairy Tale Stories That Would Make Great Horror Movies, Explore the haunt known as Hell House LLC, Trauma is the Serbian Film of 2018 [Review], 15 modern indie horror movies to put on your radar, Kids vs Aliens is a PSA for holding onto what you loved as a kid, Final Girls Ep 275: Unpacking Possession, Hilarious and gory, Legions shows slapstick & scares are Fabins forte, The Kids Arent Alright in Theres Something Wrong With The Children, Skinamarink blazes a terrifying new trail for low-budget horror, Lots of, seemingly, hyperbolic things are being thrown around about #SKINAMARINK. The acting was brilliant. Val and Lou, with how Roe and Brayben present the characters, complement each other perfectly. Ironically, once Knoah realizes these are the two serial killers on the news, he says his publisher would just love their memoirs, and is on a phone call arranging a meeting when Val shoots him in the head. Marcus (Owain Rhys Davies), the vibrational healer and his herbal relaxant certainly needed that bread knife. "[12], However, while Sep Gohrdani of the UK magazine VultureHound called it "an engaging, sharp, witty and darkly fun black comedy," he said it "doesn't quite live up to its full potential" because it "never manages to take the concept to the next level, and thus it remains watchable without being remarkable. [8], After premiering at the London FrightFest Film Festival on 24 August 2019,[3] it later played at such festivals as England's Grimmfest: Manchester's International Festival of Fantastic Film[9] and Fantastic Film Festival Australia. Cleopatra Entertainment Unleashes The Long Dark Trail on Blu-ray/DVD! That it mostly succeeds in this balance is down to the unfussy, firm hand of writer/director Staten Cousins Roe. We never get much insight into what makes it particularly empowering, since theres no sense of catharsis for Lou. Lou is a pitiful woman that most people (including her overbearing mother) treat like garbage and she just takes it and tries to go on with her life. Val is stabbed by Lou and then Lou stabs herself and the two fall on the grass. Jet-black comedy-thriller feature about self help addict, Lou, who unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged new life coach, Val. Tags 2019 A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE Ben Lloyd-Hughes Katie Brayben Poppy Roe Sarah Ball Sinead Matthews Staten Cousins Roe Tomiwa Edun. Absolutely wonderfully acted by Katie, Poppy, these 2 have such great on screen chemistry, but let's be honest , Poppy Roe steals the screen every time she's on it, the faces she gives because us, the audience know what she is and what she's up to, just the perfect face every single time, cold and calculated in her planing, but she didn't expect for Lou to be the one to be her partner in all of it. The two finally arrive at Chuck Knoah's estate. Lou is momentarily frozen by this unnecessary guilt trip. [16], 2019 film written and directed by Staten Cousins Roe, "[Review] 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' Takes Life Coaching in A New Direction", "How we made A Serial Killer's Guide To Life", "[Exclusive] Arrow Releasing Bloody Comedy 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' in January 2020; Watch the Trailer! Val Stone: I think you might be the best client, Lou. If there was ever a 9 that is definitely 10's across the board, I'll forever be upset that Lou isn't my life coach. Its a twist that is substantially borrowed from Fight Club (1999) but one the film pulls off to modest effect. I didnt think that things got particularly interesting until maybe the last 20 minutes or so and I am still not sure if I liked the big twist at the end or not as it reminded me of the ending of High Tension in a lot of ways (which I despised and feel ruined the entire movie for me). Lou Farnt: It did feel pretty empowering, you know? 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