Killer Joe (2012)

One of my all time favorites.

Tells a fascinating and unsettling true story, and does so well, without pretending to have all the answers.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

One of the best movies of the year! Incredible from the beginning to the end.

1 star because -10 wasn't available. I would go so far as to say anyone who saw anything redeeming in the film may be as sick as the characters therein.

Oscar winning director William Friedkin has never been afraid to shy away from dark material as evidenced by the controversial, but Oscar nominated "The Exorcist" in 1973. However Friedkin outdoes that unsettling supernatural horror film with this deeply disturbing thriller that makes "The Exorcist" look tame by comparison. Based on the play by Tracy Letts (who also wrote the Award winning 'Aigust: Osage County'), the film follows a financially desperate family who hires a mysterious P.I./hit-man to kill the former familial matriarch. However the situation soon spirals into a torrent of terrifyingly uncomfortable scenes of violence and sexual depravity that leaves a shocking wave of startling consequences in its wake. The film is well cast with Emile Hirsch as the ne'er do well son who hires the titular hit-man; Hirsch plays his character, Chris, with a well meaning demeanor towards his little sister, Dottie, but Chris does not comprehend what his actions will unleash once he contacts Joe Cooper and ultimately learns the severity of what he has done. Thomas Haden Church, no stranger to playing some desperate characters (watch his work in "SpiderMan 3" for an example) is the dimwitted patriarch who just goes with the flow of his son's insane plan to off his ex-wife. Gina Gershon is the foul mouthed and self-serving stepmother who is in the plan for her own gain & also pays quite a sick and bloody price for her own foolish motives. Then there's the virginal-like, but emotionally (and clearly mentally impaired) Dottie, played to perfection by Juno Temple. Dottie sadly doesn't have a filter when voicing her thoughts which hurts the plans of her family, but her childish persona is what draws the normally aloof Joe Cooper to her; providing a unique relationship dynamic aside from the dysfunctional family angle.The film's standout performance however goes to Matthew McConaughey's subtlety maniacal & volatile portrayal of the title character. At first we are shown how calm and collected his demeanor normally is; tapping into the usual McConaughey skill set. However as the film progresses & his cruelty is slowly uncovered, unease begins to set in particularly when he seduces the virginal Dottie (McConaughey was a rom-com lead for a reason, but this starts to veer away from that image). The climactic turn comes during the film's explosively depraved final act where Killer Joe's true sadistic side is unleashed as McConaughey screams epithets of threats and engages in one horrific scene of sexual depravity that will jar even the most stone-faced viewer. This is definitely the film that turned McConaughey into a far more bankable dramatic lead following his rom-com roles; there's no debate in my opinion that was a spooky turning point. The content of the film is definitely not for the squeamish viewer especially if one is familiar with some of director William Friedkin's work, again mostly with "The Exorcist". However given the levels of S&M type acts, these are probably the boldest risks taken by the screenwriters, director and the actors (again particularly from the usually likable Matthew McConaughey) which do pay off but at the cost of unforgettable imagery. If you dare, give "Killer Joe" a try, but be warned that you'll be in for a wild ride.

Gritty, intriguing, dark, funny crime-drama.Chris Smith (played by Emile Hirsch) is in a bind. He owes a loan- shark a fair bit of money, and the man has threatened to kill him if he does not produce the money within a few days. He does not have the money. He strikes upon a get-rich-quick plan: have his estranged mother killed and collect on the insurance money. He involves his father, Ansel (Thomas Haden Church), who buys into the deal for a share of the profit (him and Chris' mother are divorced and don't see eye-to-eye, so it wasn't a tough sell). Ansel then involves his 2nd wife, Sharla (Gina Gershon) and, due to her finding out about the plan, his daughter, Chris' sister, Dottie (Juno Temple). They hire a professional killer (who happens to also be a cop), "Killer Joe" Cooper (Matthew McConaughey). When they cannot pay him upfront, they reach an unusual deal on how to retain his services. This complicates matters, a lot.An engaging and funny yet simultaneously dark and graphic drama. Clever plot - quite solid with some great twists, double-crosses and triple-crosses. Good sub-plots and some wonderfully quirky dialogue. Tarantinoesque at times. In fact the whole movie has a Tarantino- like vibe, but not quite with the same polish and attention-to-detail that a Tarantino movie has.Ending is a bit unsatisfactory, and does negate some of the good that went before. It was heading for an even higher rating...Great performances all round. Matthew McConaughey is wonderfully cool and aloof, yet damaged, as Killer Joe. He reminded me of his performance in True Detective Season 1. Emile Hirsch, Thomas Haden Church, Juno Temple and Gino Gershon are well cast and don't put a foot wrong. Pick of the these is Juno Temple, who mixes innocence and beauty and creates a wonderful sense of mystery and ambiguity about her character.An understated, underrated gem.

Killer Joe is a roller-coaster of a movie. At first it seems like a dark comedy, then a crime drama plot starts to uncover, and by the end it becomes downright terrifying. I'm a sucker for these kinds of movies and Killer Joe absolutely nails everything it goes for. This kind of story couldn't be pulled off without the right director. Thankfully William Friedkin knocks it out of the park. You can smell the white trash emanating from the screen. Every detail of every action is given the right amount of attention; every shot has purpose. Not one second is gone to waste. And in order for a story like this to truly resonate you'd need competent actors, and I don't think you could find a more perfect cast for Killer Joe if you tried. McConaughey is absolutely mesmerizing as this badass detective who's a hit-man on the side. The story revolves around a trailer trash family and their plan to exploit an insurance policy on the husband's ex-wife because the son got wrapped up in a bad drug deal, so they hire Killer Joe to do the job. Little do they know, Killer Joe does not f*ck around. It's a graphic movie but it's not gratuitous. There's a reason for everything that is shown. And the narrative slowly builds to an explosive climax that leaves you flabbergasted. Seriously, the final scene in this movie which is about 10 minutes long, is absolutely phenomenal. Shocking, riveting, unsettling. Matthew McConaughey is downright villainous in this role. It's hard to call him a "villain" because he's straightforward in his motivations, much like it's hard to call the family the "heroes" because they're a bunch of moronic assholes, except the daughter who just doesn't know any better. The line between good and evil is blurred to the point of nonexistence, with Joe epitomizing this duality being the half detective half gun-for-hire hard-ass that he is. It's quite poetic, really. The characters in this movie are scum, and they all get what's coming to them.Killer Joe is a lot of things, but one thing it's not is scatterbrained. It's entirely focused and cohesive. All the genres it glosses over fit right into this depraved story arc, and it grips you to the screen from beginning to end. This movie certainly isn't for everyone, but if you can stomach Killer Joe, you won't soon forget it.