The Perfect Witness

Riveting and scary
Not a run-of-the-mill slasher movie but a scary thriller that has many twists and turns. I don't recall another recent movie like this one - it has a Hitchcock or film noir feel. The acting is excellent and Wes Bentley gives a great, restrained performance as the troubled witness. I was on the edge of my seat during the film. The violence might be disturbing to some but it is not gratuitous. This is a movie that is enjoyable because it is so different, unpredictable, and thought-provoking. Not a typical Hollywood movie.

Ride the Downward Spiral..
I always imagined that someone in the world of reality TV would actually attempt what this movie chronicles - a filmmaker capturing the activities of a depraved serial killer. Well, obviously there'd be some moral concerns (rightly so) with the concept, but this movie also explores what else you'd find on that particular downward spiral. Highly suspenseful and engrossing, you can't help but feel trapped, much like the main character in the film, played convincingly well by Wes Bentley. I had the opportunity to watch this one on the independent circuit and was surprised. A strong debut for this up-and-coming director. If you want to be a bit disturbed, this will do it for you.

A Pleasant Surprise from an Unpleasant Movie
Given the resources, this was an outstanding, surprisingly well-made film. Borkowski is not only impressive in his portrayal of the serial killer- who is actually more level-headed and logical than all the other characters around him- but he (along with Thomas C. Dunn) also wrote the story.

Also noteworthy is the inclusion of the realistic profile that killers could be people who do charitable work under the watchful eye of the public during daylight hours. There are so many movies that show antagonists in an absolute black-and-white portrayal, and this is simply not the case. We often hear news reports of monsters being hauled away when neighbors are interviewed afterwards with astonished faces, saying "he was such a nice, quiet person with good manners." In showing this, Borkowski and Dunn gives the film an added angle that a murderer could be any one, just around the corner, your neighbor or mine. And that's the primary key to creating fear, because when you walk...

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