Another coming of age serial killer story?
One of the better films I saw at the Chattanooga Film Festival last April was Summer of 84, a coming-of-age/horror film about the serial killer next door. In it, a group of boys begins an investigation into their neighbor, a well-liked, friendly police officer, pillar of the community, a man far above suspicion.
It was entertaining in a mostly light, nostalgic way, and one more entry into the current obsession with the 1980s made popular by shows like Stranger Things. Summer of 84 did a lot of things well—starting with being eerily similar to the case of the Golden State Killer, whose identity (a former cop) was revealed later in the summer.
It handled the relationships between the boys well, making it more of an adventure story than a horror film, and was more charming than complex. It never quite rose beyond a certain level of superficiality, which isn’t in and of itself a bad thing. It was enjoyable, to say the least.
Now, of the heels of Summer of 84, is another coming-of-age/serial killer film that covers a lot of the same ground but in a more sophisticated way. The Clovehitch Killer, a film without a theatrical release available on Amazon, is better than it has any right to be.
The film opens in a small town in Kentucky, one not unlike many of the towns in South. It is in the grip of a typical form of evangelical Christianity—praise choruses, alternative Boy Scouts (the real Boy Scouts just aren’t Christian enough), sexual repression. To be an atheist is the worst thing in the world, just below dirty pictures and dirty words.
Tyler (Charlie Plummer) lives with his nice family of four: his father Don (Dylan McDermott), the scout leader, his mother, an upstanding Christian mom, and his younger sister. Tyler dreams of going to leadership camp, flying fighter jets, and kissing the girl who sings backup for the church praise band.
It’s a nice life, in a nice town, with nice people. Most barely remember the rash of murders ten years ago committed by the evil dubbed the Clovehitch Killer, who tied and tortured his victims and left a calling card in the form of a clovehitch knot. But when Tyler’s girlfriend discovers a creepy picture in Don’s truck, Tyler begins to investigate his father, where he uncovers a family secret he wishes he’d never known.
The film is strong in a variety of ways. First, Dylan McDermott is excellent in the role. It’s unlike anything he’s done before—creepy, with an implacable northern accent, just the right amount of nice with a hint of danger. He’s a character playing a character, a man who has memorized the right things to say without understanding the meaning behind any of them.
Charlie Plummer gives Tyler a powerful naivety, shocking yet understandable. The entire film has an uncompromising, David Fincher feel to it, with long shots of silence, allowing the audience to feel the same discomfort and horror the characters feel.
This is the first feature film by director Duncan Skiles, and while it seems like this film hasn’t garnered much in the way of acclaim, he could be poised to become a name to watch. He might suddenly find himself directing the next Star Wars or Marvel film because that’s what happens to up and coming auteurs.
At any rate, Skiles clearly knows what he’s doing with this particularly genre. The Clovehitch Killer is a slow burning thriller that deserves more attention that it’s gotten.
This could be said for a lot of films now. There are so many options, so many places for films to find a home, that smaller gems like The Clovehitch Killer get lost in the noise. What promotion was done for the film is anyone’s guess—even the title is the underwhelming.
The understated materials, colors, and trailer for the film don’t necessarily scream “watch me now.” While it handles the material in a better and more sophisticated way than Summer of 84, there’s no question that Summer of 84 is more marketable. That a film needs a gimmick, or a sense of nostalgia, to gain notoriety is disappointing.
The Clovehitch Killer is a film that would feel right at home at CFF. It’s worth taking a look.