Head Cases: Serial Killers in the Delaware Valley (2013)

Better Late Then Never

Fanciful, disturbing, and wildly original, it announces the arrival of a fresh, bold voice in American cinema.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

This was relentless. Relentlessly dull and unimaginative. It looks to be a sequel of sorts to the first one, entitled "The Ritual." This one was done in a more DiscoveryID docudrama way, which didn't really help it at all. The older characters were dumpy and bland, and the young 'proteges' were lackluster. The video footage portraying the 'murders' lacked any sort of realism. The only one that I was discomfited by was the anal rape with the bowie knife.Both Montgomery's mother and wife were the ultimate uberbi****s, which really underscored Montgomery's milquetoast demeanor. I mean, I get that a serial killer that is the most unassuming and non-confrontational man ever would be an interesting twist. The 'he was so quiet. Very polite and courteous. Willing to help anyone' type of person. However, that particular characterization in this film just made it fall flat. It's tough to believe that a man with so little testicular fortitude would be capable of kidnapping and killing people.

You know, I got that people like imagination and fiction etc, but when you create a serial killer and make it look like a documentary, it's fraud for me, A Movie by defenition is about imagination, selling a story to an audience, who know that it's not THE TRUTH, but want to escape in imagination land, a DOCUMENTARY is something that's REAL, so when you combine both and one of them is false (the documentary part)...well it's a fraud, people want the truth, there's enough serial killers outhere, we don't need a fake one, so please don't waste my time, 5mn into the movie I did a google search and find out its all a fake, I was desappointed and stopped the movie...I LIKE THE TRUTH or at least make it a REAL MOVIE.awful!

Let me start by saying, "oh my God." As a fan of all of the films in the series, I must say, I can't think of a better way this could have ended. Head Cases was a standout. It was done in the style of a 48 Hours Mystery type of documentary. It gathered all the pieces of every story and brought it all together in a seamless and incredible package. I honestly think I enjoyed this the most, even more than the original. The acting was fantastic, as usual. Very well cast. The cinematography was also quite stunning. Very minimalist, yet I couldn't pry myself away from the screen. The footage in this felt so authentic. I believe some of it was, but I can't tell what is and what isn't, truth be told. It's clear how much care was put into the fine details. It definitely paid off. The direction the movie headed was fantastic. In the opening scene, we are presented with a quote from Wayne Montgomery that reads, "I'm passing on my knowledge, so it won't die when I do." Without revealing any detail, this just gives you an idea of where the film is headed. Many twists and turns develop in the last of the series. Things I definitely did not see coming. It was impressive how many plots were tied together and in the conclusion were still presented with new and surprising material. Definitely the most impressive film of the bunch. All of my questions were answered and my mind was blown yet again. I am thankful to have been introduced to the series, it's been an awesome ride.

Head Cases: Serial Killers in the Delaware Valley is the fourth film in the Head Case series of 'found footage' horror films. It takes a different approach than the previous films, playing as more of a "true crime" documentary. Head Cases borrows elements from some real-life murder cases (including the Luka Magnotta case). Head Cases provides an intimate, far more sympathetic view of Wayne. He's a severely flawed nobody, abused by the women in his life. To him, murder is an outlet. It's an interesting approach, one hinted on but never explored in the other films. Barbara Lessin's role as Andrea Montgomery is limited to prison interviews, but she is very effective as she tells her side of the story. I really liked the story in this movie, how it explores the events of the previous films, then leads into the aftermath - how a serial killer's life's work can inspire copycats. It's a concept explored in other movies, but rarely as effectively as it's done here. I think this was my favorite of all the installments. It's suspenseful, disturbing, and really got under my skin.