The title here aptly describes the movie. It’s not flashy drama. It’s not particularly gratuitous in the violence. But there is violence. And a lot of uncomfortable moments playing out. It’s not normal, despite how Henry just rolls along normally. And his overall demeanor? Maybe that’s the scariest thing here.
Dead Bodies. Breakfast. Dead people. Driving. Dead woman in apartment. Crossing a bridge. There’s an establishing theme here. Not saying the polite working-class Henry is associated with any of them, he’s just doing his own thing. Maybe. Then we get to see Otis picking up his distraught sister Becky from the airport, and it turns out Henry is Otis’s roommate, and there’s some pretty ugly histories brought to light and, well, Maybe Henry might not be the most upstanding citizen of Chicago. He is pretty damn polite, though. Until, well, he isn’t.
Michael Rooker in the Henry role here is fantastic, almost underwhelming in his portrayal of a dude that, yeah, he’s got issues. And instead of just a movie of killings, the introduction of Becky into his world makes this the movie it is. It’s some dark shit here, not to be casually thrown on the TV. Definitely some early Abel Ferrara kindsa vibes except with a strong Chicago accent, complete with the Old Style beers and total dissin’ of da Bears. Loosely based on the real-life convicted killers Henry Lee Lucas and Ottis Toole, so there’s that unfortunate fact, too. A soundtrack that is a bit Carpenter-esque. The John Carpenter guy, not those other hippy wankster ones.
