Ever since I found "My Amityville Horror" I've been having good luck with the IFC label, and tonight was no exception. The movie was called "The Clovehitch Killer"(2018). It was released on the subsidiary IFC Midnight and I found it in a database search of same. I'm not sure what the deal is with IFC movies, whether or not they actually play in theatres (and I know IFC is a cable channel), but IMDB lists a box office total for this film, albeit very small, so perhaps it had a limited or regional release. But man oh man was it ever well done! Unfortunately, I'm not sure how much I want to tell you, due to spoilers, but I'll start writing and see what comes out.
A young actor named Charlie Plummer stars as 18 year old Tyler Burnside, the son of a Christian couple in northern Kentucky. Tyler is a good kid. He attends church regularly, has respect for his parents, and is a Boy Scout of high merit. His Dad (played by Bob Dylan McDermott Mulroney) is the Scout Leader for Tyler's troop. Dad is a solid citizen in the community. Besides working as a general handyman, doing construction jobs, etc., he also helps care for his severely disabled brother Rudy, who lives in a convalescent home. Tyler's mother (Samantha Mathis) is a traditional housewife, not unusual in a conservative state. She takes good care of her husband and son, and all is well in their world. The Burnsides are a nice family, as All-American as they come. Director Duncan Skiles portrays them without modern "us vs. them" bias. Yes, they are Red State Baptists, but they could easily be your neighbors in San Francisco or Massachusetts. They're not uptight or self-righteous. Dad is a jokester and Mom is an easygoing, openminded lady. Most of all, they love their son, who dreams of becoming a pilot.
A dark cloud hangs over their town, though. Ten years ago, there was a series of murders that were never solved. The killer left few clues but was known for his facility with knots. One of these was the clove hitch knot, which he used to bind his victims. As an aside, while watching the film I wondered, because of the bondage factor, if it was based on the BTK case.
But back to the story: one night while they are out on a date, something bad happens to spoil the evening between Tyler and his prospective girlfriend. All of a sudden she wants to be taken home. Her image of Tyler is besmirched. She can't trust him anymore. In the days ahead, he acquires a bad name at his high school. Rumors are spread at his church. Suddenly, no one wants to be around him. There is an odd girl who hangs around, however. Tyler has heard bad rumors about her, too (that she's "easy", etc.) Knowing how it feels to be accused of something that isn't true, he feels a kinship to her and approaches her one Sunday after mass.
They go for a walk in the nearby woods, and Tyler opens up to the girl, whose name is Krissi. The thing he's been accused of (it's more correct to say he's been "labeled") may have a connection to the Clovehitch murders. Though they are a decade in the past, the killings remain very much on the minds of the townspeople because the killer was never caught. The subject of Clovehitch gets Krissi's attention. She takes out a pocket notebook and writes down an address, telling Tyler to meet her there the next day. He does this, and it turns out that the woman who lives at that house is a local author who has written a book on the case. This woman formerly worked for the police and is a friend of Krissi's. Between them, Krissi and the woman are a font of information about Clovehitch. They've cross catalogued every detail, but what Tyler has told Krissi is a shocker because it's previously unknown to both women. Krissi has a reason for her own interest in the case, and she gets right to work helping Tyler with his problem.
I think, because this is such a suspenseful movie, that I'm going to have to stop here and divulge no more of the plot. What I do want to say is that "The Clovehitch Killer" knocked my socks off. I'd glanced at a handful of fan reviews on IMDB, the ones that were brief and didn't contain spoilers, and I because of the general consensus I wasn't expecting a great film. Perhaps a competent one, but not a thriller that chilled me to the bone. I don't know if you remember a movie called "The Strangers" that was released in 2008. It was one of those rare horror movies that had the quality of absolute realism, and because of this, and because of the skill with which it was made, it is to this day perhaps the most terrifying film I've ever seen. It was so frightening that I will never watch it again. "Clovehitch", while not on the same level of terror (and it's not trying to be because that's not what the story is about) nevertheless has the same quality of realism and is made with equal skill by first time director Duncan Skiles. He gets natural performances out of his actors, so that they seem like your neighbors, as noted. Particularly good is Charlie Plummer, who was seen as John Paul Getty in Ridley Scott's "All The Money In The World". He's an actor to watch, and here in "Clovehitch" he has all the mannerisms of an angst ridden teen down pat, but without ever showing a lot of "actor-y" technique. He's great as Tyler. McDermott-Mulroney, besides being part of one of the largest Combo Celebrities ever discovered, has always been an underrated actor in my book. He shines as Don Burnside, Tyler's jocular father. He caught my attention way back in 1987 in "Hamburger Hill", playing a G.I. in Vietnam. I've always thought he had a personable way in front of the camera, and he demonstrates that here once again.
Director Skiles knows how to build suspense, and how to use slow burn camerawork to create unease. The thing about this movie, because it feels so real, is that it's also very sad. The horror and the sadness balance each other, and the result is to drain the viewer and leave him or her badly shaken. Like "The Strangers", there are a few scenes of sheer terror, but not so extreme that you'll have nightmares, as I did with that movie. Skiles also uses his minimal soundtrack to great effect, quietly cueing you in places so you won't be startled, because that's not what he is after. He never overdoes anything, but manages to get everything right. With "The Clovehitch Killer" I think he's created one of the most disturbing movies ever made about an American psycho.
Two Gigantic Thumbs Up and my highest recommendation for this scary but intelligent little film. There are a couple of things I should mention : 1) That it's obviously not for the squeamish, and 2) that there exists a fair-sized plot hole near the end that has to do with logic, but take my word for it, you can let that go. If you can handle this type of picture, the ending won't detract in any way from it's brilliance, and the plothole was not a problem for me. ////
Well, that'll do it for the moment. Nice to see Roger Stone get convicted, eh? And it looks like Rudolph Giuliani (aka The Second Biggest A-Hole In The World) is in a lot of hot water himself with the Second District of New York. Go, SDNY! Me, I'm going to the produce mart and then back to Pearl's. I'll see you tonight at the Usual Time.
Tons of love! xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo :):)
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