So yeah, I rented Killer Joe. Really good movie. I didn't know much about the plot going in, which made the viewing experience all the more gratifying. The cast is immaculate. McConaughey gives the performance of his career, while Juno Temple steals the screen as a white trash siren named Dottie. I was dumbfounded to discover that she's British. It's no wonder that she has been semi-pigeonholed into "loose Southern belle" roles. She nails them! William Friedkin's direction is watertight, but that goes without saying. I can't recommend Killer Joe enough. It's fucking twisted.
On some level, it outpaces the Evil Dead remake in the nausea department. I finally caught the polemic redux, and man, it really wants to fuck you up. Here's the problem; it's a swell horror picture, but it goes for the guts too soon. 20 minutes in, and the bitch is already being raped by vines (or a vine worm, in this case...the fuck?). Did the blonde girlfriend have a name? Did she even have lines? Mia could have been an engaging character, but her arc extends to brooding and vomiting. That's it. The expository dialogue is awful. "Hey, I'm your big brother. And other stuff relating to our backstory."
I certainly didn't hate it. Maybe I sound quarrelsome, but I did appreciate the practical effects. As a midnight spookshow, it passes with flying colors. Of course, it's not a patch on the original. Oh, and fuck the random, meaningless post-credits stinger.
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