In America, in the trashiest of “white trash” areas, people can kill other people and get away with it. Trailer parks have are a reliable mise en scène for bloody murder as they have come to represent lawlessness in Americana cinema e.g. True Peaks and No Country for Old Men. Killer Joe starts in a trailer park. The lawlessness of the film is all but confirmed by the title character Killer Joe; a detective and professional killer.
The film itself is unremarkable. None of it seems too innovative or original now. If there was something new about it, it was Matthew McConaughey taking this kind of role; his soft Texan voice being used not to woo but to disturb. It was made in 2011 on the tide of the fantastically dubbed “McConnaisance” which we all know peaked with an Oscar in 2013 for Dallas Buyers Club (also check out his physical transformation for Gold (2016) that has become such a necessary commitment to being considered a serious actor). He plays the role nuanced enough to be both sociopathic and vulnerable when he needs to be.
The other performances vary. Emile Hirsh does a good job of an average role. He is the strong male presence in the family playing the ever in-debt maligned son protecting his younger sister. Juno Temple plays the little sister with the awkward naivety of a young teenager. Thomas Haden Scott is the father and is given the lion’s share of “comedic” moments. But he manages the tragic thing of just appearing stupid and not funny.
The whole film accomplishes the portrayal of these trailers and communities as tiny pockets that are difficult to escape from but also for justice or fairness to influence. The film spends a lot of time inside trailers which become a not-too-comforting refuge. Sounds are used throughout the film to give it a spooky eeriness. Music is used sparingly to kick-in a personal touch from the director which is quite enjoyable. So all-in-all, a solid but not ground-breaking piece by director William Friedkin.
Waste of Time? Yes but 2.5/5. Watch No Country For Old Men instead.
The film itself is unremarkable. None of it seems too innovative or original now. If there was something new about it, it was Matthew McConaughey taking this kind of role; his soft Texan voice being used not to woo but to disturb. It was made in 2011 on the tide of the fantastically dubbed “McConnaisance” which we all know peaked with an Oscar in 2013 for Dallas Buyers Club (also check out his physical transformation for Gold (2016) that has become such a necessary commitment to being considered a serious actor). He plays the role nuanced enough to be both sociopathic and vulnerable when he needs to be.
The other performances vary. Emile Hirsh does a good job of an average role. He is the strong male presence in the family playing the ever in-debt maligned son protecting his younger sister. Juno Temple plays the little sister with the awkward naivety of a young teenager. Thomas Haden Scott is the father and is given the lion’s share of “comedic” moments. But he manages the tragic thing of just appearing stupid and not funny.
The whole film accomplishes the portrayal of these trailers and communities as tiny pockets that are difficult to escape from but also for justice or fairness to influence. The film spends a lot of time inside trailers which become a not-too-comforting refuge. Sounds are used throughout the film to give it a spooky eeriness. Music is used sparingly to kick-in a personal touch from the director which is quite enjoyable. So all-in-all, a solid but not ground-breaking piece by director William Friedkin.
Waste of Time? Yes but 2.5/5. Watch No Country For Old Men instead.