Psycho Killer

Cast View all

	Georgina Campbell	Jane Archer
	James Preston Rogers	Psycho Killer
	Malcolm McDowell	Mr. Pendleton
	Logan Miller	Marvin
	Grace Dove	Agent Becky Collins
	Aaron Merke	Leonard Wilkes
	Joshua Banman	Motorist
	Cassandra Ebner	Motorist's Wife
	Darren Martens	Mitch-Three Mile Island Gate Guard
	Sydney Sabiston	Female Pharmacist
	Nigel Shawn Williams	Jane's Father
	Terry Ray	Man 1 at Pendleton's
	Coby Friesen	Man 2 at Pendleton's
	Bailey Chin	Prostitute 1 at Pendleton's
	Michelle Crossman	Prostitute 2 at Pendleton's
	Rachel Sheen	Prostitute 3 at Pendleton's
	Kevin McIntyre	Three Mile Island - Security Chief
	Robert Nahum Allen	Three Mile Island - Foreman
	Yan Joseph	Three Mile Island - Supervisor
	Brodie Sanderson	Three Mile Island - Male Engineer
	Anaka Sandhu	Three Mile Island - Female Engineer
	Stephen Irom Gatphoh	Three Mile Island - Maintenance Worker
	John B. Lowe	Elder Priest
	Stephen Adekolu	State Trooper Mike
	Josh Strait	Lead FBI agent

Crew View all

Director	Gavin Polone
Writer	Andrew Kevin Walker
Producer	Matt Akey, Matt Berenson, Cary Davies, Robert Kulzer, Kathy Landsberg, Roy Lee, Natalie Lehmann, Arnon Milchan, Yariv Milchan, Martin Moszkowicz, Andrew Kevin Walker, Alana Wright
Musician	Sven Faulconer
Photography	Magnus Nordenhof Jønck

Trailer

Edition details

Personal

Notes

My quick rating - 5.1/10. I found it oddly inviting that this flick opens with some “hey, there’s a killer on the loose” headlines. Is Psycho Killer politely giving us a chance to back out before things get slashy? Naturally, that ain't happening. We lean in. And almost immediately, we’re on a highway with a guy who just screams, “do not make eye contact at a gas station.”

The setup is solid. After the brutal murder of her husband, Georgina, played by Georgina Campbell, goes into full tunnel vision revenge mode. She’s tracking down a killer who isn’t just your average slasher. This guy, portrayed by James Preston Rogers, treats murder like a cross-country hobby. Midwest road trip, but instead of souvenirs, it’s victims. Not exactly something you can scrapbook.

Director Gavin Polone deserves some credit here because, visually, Psycho Killer knows how to look good. I enjoyed those slick highway shots. Especially the ones capturing the reflections in the killer’s sunglasses. There’s also a moment where he’s casually watching a documentary about serial killers, because of course he is. And yes, Charles Manson gets a nod. Nothing says “normal evening” like taking notes from history’s worst people.

Now, let’s talk kills. The movie definitely has one scene that will stick with you. The confession booth murder. That one? Yeah…you’re not unseeing that anytime soon. It’s creative, disturbing, and earns its place in my horror memory bank. The other is a pretty solid axe-wielding scene that delivers. Aside from that, the rest of the kills are surprisingly tame. For a movie called Psycho Killer, it often feels more like Mildly Concerned Killer.

Where things start to stumble is the pacing. For a cat-and-mouse thriller, I was expecting some cat-and-mouse action. Not really. Georgina tracks this guy down way too fast, and when they finally collide, the aftermath feels weirdly low-stakes. You expect tension, fallout, something. Instead, it shrugs and moves on. Even when Malcolm McDowell shows up as Mr. Pendleton (every creepy story benefits from Malcolm McDowell), the film never fully kicks into gear.

The effects, though, deserve a shout. The blend of CGI and practical blood is actually impressive. Nothing looks overly fake or distractingly digital. It’s one of those rare cases where the balance works, and you appreciate the effort even when the story is dragging.

At 91 minutes, Psycho Killer doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it never hits any top speed. More just cruise control. The chase lacks urgency. The tension comes in bursts rather than a steady build. And then , we get a finale that feels like it just woke from a nap. Knowing the script by Andrew Kevin Walker has been floating around since 2007 (Wiki), it does kinda explain why it feels a bit out of sync with modern horror. It’s like a time capsule. And it hasn't been updated.

Still, it’s not a total loss. There are flashes of creativity and a couple of genuinely memorable moments to keep you entertained. And yes, it even throws in a sequel tease backed by the pounding beats of 3TEETH, because nothing says “round two is coming” like aggressive industrial music.

Psycho Killer isn’t a bad movie. It just should’ve been better. It has the pieces, but it just never quite assembles them into something better than adequate. But hey, at least we got that confession booth scene. And I doubt you'll trust motel documentaries again.

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