Day 4 of Toronto After Dark 2011 was a long one. With four films programmed for the day, I was hoping that they’d be some of the better ones. The day started out with Some Guy Who Kills People, which I was looking forward to.
It’s the story of Ken (Kevin Corrigan), a guy recently released from an institution who lives with his rude and insulting mother (Karen Black). All the guys that bullied him in high school are turning up dead and it looks like Ken is to blame. To top it all off, the daughter he has never known suddenly comes back into his life.
This one has a serious sense of black humor running through it and the secondary characters tend to steal the show, resulting in an extremely funny, and slightly bloody, film.
The stand out actors wind up being Barry Bostwick as the local sheriff and Karen Black as Ken’s mom. Just about every line of dialogue that they deliver had me laughing. Kevin Corrigan has a more subtle turn here, playing straight man to everyone else, including Ariel Gade as his daughter Amy. She plays the role well, managing to have that touch of smartass while still being cute.
Ken is constantly bullied and becomes the prime suspect when people start turning up dead.
There are quite a few surprises in the film that I wasn’t expecting, including the ending. Characters aren’t what they appear to be, from the smallest to the largest role, and it keeps you entertained throughout. It’s hard to talk about the film without revealing too much. Even the slightest hint could ruin the entire thing. What I can talk about is the great blend of comedy and blood. People wind up meeting their ends in some fun ways that lets the red stuff flow. Things are never taken too seriously though and Barry Bostwick always seems to be there to deliver another great line to ease the tension.
Barry Bostwick stole the show for me.
Karen Black plays along with Bostwick and got just as many laughs. The way she treats Ken in the film is hilarious. You can tell she loves her son but it can be hard to remember when every comment that comes out of her mouth is insulting to him. Good thing it’s so hilarious for the viewer. I had high expectations going into the movie and it managed to surpass them. With a plot that twists and characters that were so much fun to watch, Some Guy Who Kills People wound up being one of the better films of the festival. I’m just glad it was the first of four movies that day so I was fresh and awake for it.
In the shadows – Will
wow I can feel this movie is super awesome cant wait cant wait.