My initial assumption was that we would have a cute/absurd mainstream comedy along the lines of So I Married an Axe Murderer (1993) or Serial Mom (1994). | ASKGTL takes us on a bizzare, original, dark and funny journey in the form of a road trip to enlightenment via a number of grizzly murders. Like several other Grimmfest films, A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a debut feature for its writer/director, Staten Cousins-Roe, and he has created something very much his own here: the dry, sarcastic humor, the innocent inspired to find "empowerment" sure, we've seen these things before, but not combined like this. They begin with Lou being aloof and attending several self help, self healing type retreats that people sometimes take part in, most are crazy but it strikes a cord because couldn't we all use a good deep breath away from the hustle and bustle of the world and take in bit of nature and fresh air? Thankfully, A Serial Killers Guide To Life never goes as dark as Man Bites Dog, instead taking the idea that, maybe, killing ones idols should be taken literally. Not amused by her paying more attention to her audio device than she is with where shes walking, the guy tells her to watch where youre f*cking going. Her response is awkwardly mumbled. And often these targets of the satire seem as though they are barn doors broad enough that they barely need to be spoofed. Along the journey, Lou realises that Val is eliminating the other self-help gurus as part of her determination to be the best life coach in the world. Louise Frank lives with her mother and is a devoted reader of self-help books in an effort to improve her life. 1/2 A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. Still, she speaks with enough authority to keep nave Lou in check, even when the truth about her "therapy" is out of the bag. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a 2019 British satirical horror road movie written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by Staten Cousins Roe in his feature-length directorial debut. Lou unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.. I just loved it. Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes. On the plus side I did think that the cast was excellent. This unique little film does not get enough credit. It deserves to become a cult classic. Simply film, quite okay, mildly interesting as mentioned. Then during a visit to a birth-memory guru, and while Val waits in the hall, Lou begins to hallucinate. We never get much insight into what makes it particularly empowering, since theres no sense of catharsis for Lou. This process is automatic. Val Stone: Sarah Ball . Whilst this may be a slightly unorthodox choice, the increasingly discordant and erratic music provides the ideal accompaniment to Lou's rapidly deteriorating mental state. . Soon Val and Lou are traveling the English countryside. Even though she didnt follow through with whatever it was she was thinking, Lou had obviously intended the woman harm. And the last thing most of us want to do is put in actual time and effort on ourselves to get there. In the end ,the characters were under-developed, and the plot actions implausible. Wanting something better, Lou follows the teachings of various self-help gurus, but especially that of Chuck Knoah. As the movie opens, Lou, a twenty-something who still lives at home with her miserable mum, is listening to a self-help/motivational tape while doing a beach walk on the southern coast of England. Movie Review, The service requires full cookie support in order to view this website. Both actors do a stellar job of bringing them both to life and are well supported by the rest of the cast. The two struggle, and Val is being overpowered when Lou kills the husband. "[14], Commenting on the musical score, Josh Sandy of The Mancunion, the University of Manchester student newspaper, said it "is packed full of orchestral pieces. There is obvious chemistry between Roe and Brayben that cant be faked. When James Franco made his soap opera debut in 2009, it was as a serial killer named Franco on ABC's General Hospital. Lou Farnt (Brayben) is stuck in her life, with a dead-end job, no apparent friends to speak of, and still living with her domineering mother (Ball). film review, Support. I think that John Waters similarly themed classic film Serial Mom is a much better (and funnier) film, and while I didnt necessarily hate this movie I dont think it lives up to its hype and that I wont be watching it again anytime soon. Katie Brayben (Louise Lou Frank), Poppy Roe (Val Stone), Ben Lloyd-Hughes (Chuck Knoah), Sarah Ball (Mother), Tomiwa Edun (Ben), Sinead Matthews (Izzy), David Manson (Ralph), Matthew Woodyat (Graham), Owain Rhys-Davies (Marcus), Carys Lewis (Rachel), Chris Bishop (Laughter Therapist). It is also possible to buy "A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" on Microsoft Store . bloody, murderous road trip with Val doing all the killing during the first I have written reviews before for other independent films and they can rate pretty low and high with all factors taken into consideration with the one major factor being I'm a filmmaker as well, is having the idea and visualizing it and making it come to life on screen for us to enjoy which is a major step in your career and the ultimate release in knowing you put out what you wanted to put out and not what a studio maybe demanded you input and change to make it adhere to there standards. Ironically, once Knoah realizes these are the two serial killers on the news, he says his publisher would just love their memoirs, and is on a phone call arranging a meeting when Val shoots him in the head. Our DoP, James Layton, helped source our camera. Even though we hear the individual struggling with Val, Lou doesnt concern herself with investigating the odd sounds emanating from inside the building. Tagged as: Children at Play! Ben Lloyd-Hughes . RELATED: Soap Opera Couples Who Dated In Real Life. Their roles are vastly different, and the actresses portray these irredeemable characters in a likable way. There is a believability to their respective characters that shines through the performances. This is a film where I didnt know which way it would go at the outset. Ffs, that's coming-of-age, road-trip movie-making 101! The tone of both Roe and Lowes film have a certain hazy quality to them, as well, wherein its difficult to know whether were experiencing the story as it actually happened, or if the storys a bit muddled, courtesy of our not-quite-insane-but-definitely-slightly-mad unreliable narrator. Despite this constant diet of positive affirmations, Lou seems paralyzed, unable to make meaningful change in her life. SICK seems to check all the boxesstoked. Mother: Sian Clifford . Shes not someone that one would want to meet down a dark alley in the dead of night. "A Serial Killer's Guide To Life follows Lou Farnt (Katie Brayben): a 30-something, . www.thehollywoodnews.com is using a security service for protection against online attacks. The short film, starring Poppy Roe, Katie Brayben, Sarah Ball, Christopher Gilling, and Adam Venus, proves the perfect jumping-off point for a feature film. If youve met any of these characters (or people who swear by their wares), youll likely have more than a few wry chuckles during these scenes. A Serial Killers Guide To Life follows Lou Farnt (Katie Brayben): a 30-something, self-help addict who wants nothing more than to escape her overly controlling mother and the dead-end seaside town where she grew up. Firstly, how long you see the end twist coming before its announced. Pacing of the story was perfect with the editing, absolutely brilliant story telling. 2020, The various therapy sessions the pair of Lou and Val visit are all astonishingly real: back-to-nature, vibrational healing, rebirthing, and laughter all have their adherents, and after doing some reading up on each, it appears that the words and actions taken by the films fictional therapists arent being exaggerated for laughs. A Serial Killers Guide to Life, arguably one of the best dark comedies to come out of the British Isles in a few years, was recently made available in these United States and Canada on iTunes and Digital HD Monday, 13 January 2020. At one of these seminars she meets Val (Poppy Rose) who is everything that Lou wants to be and is soon convinced to leave her life behind and join Val on the road. On route to their first stop, a nature therapy session, Val kills the petrol station attendee off-camera. Metacritic Reviews. A well-written, shot, and acted darkly humorous film. Val is attractive, tall, headstrong, a woman who knows who she is and is forth coming about it. A Serial Killers Guide to Life opens midway through an interview with Chuck Noah (Ben Lloyd-Hughes). Unless being annoying is a capital crime? Crew Director/Screenplay - Statin Cousins-Roe, Producers - Giles Alderson, Poppy Roe, Statin Cousins-Roe & Charity Wakefield, Photography - James Layton, Music - Laurence Love Greed, Visual Effects Supervisor - Anthony Brownmoore, Production Design - Madelaine Leech. A radio briefly mentions that a woman has been found murdered at a caravan park. Val calls Lou the best student she's ever had. 30 something, self-help addict, Lou wants nothing more than to escape her overly controlling mother and the dead-end seaside town where she grew up. There is nothing quite like a bloodcurdling film that makes one giggle and tremble at the same time. (Rossum's Universal Robots), written in 1920 in Czech and first performed in 1921. They are opposites in every way imaginable. Internet Service Terms into the film, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out. [6], The film, eventually titled A Serial Killer's Guide to Life, shot for two weeks across 28 locations[7] in Brighton and Sussex, England. Along the way, Lou and Val drop in on numerous questionable self-help practitioners. We all need a little help to become better people, right? She later meets the woman, who introduces herself as Val Stone, a self-help teacher who believes she would be perfect for Lou. It is here that we discover Val is a killer. The other issue is how much this bothers you. Katie Brayben, playing Lou, is possibly better known to Luther fans as Penny Leyton. The tone is deftly inventive and offers surprises . A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach.A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. Despite being flattered by the attention, Lou initially can't bring herself to leave home for an extended time for the first time. from the University of North Texas, Im a freelance journalist and a social historian. A gun-wielding Val chases Lou to the edge of a cliff, and there they have a final meeting-of-the-minds as police sirens and a helicopter close in. So when strange and strikingly confident new life coach Val invites her on a road trip of alternative therapies, Lou finds the perfect opportunity to leave, and the perfect person to become. The real highlight of the film is the interplay between Brayben and Roe. Won't ruin the end but please everyone, you need to have this film ion your life, the directing was spot on, camera work with the follow focusing worked brilliantly every time, and the acting, you would believe these 2 women have had 100 projects under their belts. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a 2019 British satirical horror road movie written, directed, co-produced and co-edited by Staten Cousins Roe in his feature-length directorial debut. The character work between Lou and Val is the real highlight, along with the pitch-black humor. Self-help addict Lou (Katie Brayben . Currently you are able to watch "A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" streaming on ARROW, Paramount+ Showtime. Weve got a #spoiler free review ready but, more importantly, check it out when it drops on digital next week. It doesn't look like it was made with a ton of money and one can see where the corners were cut but it only adds to the brilliance, in my view. Life is like a box of chocolates, Noah said, all the crappy ones get left behind.. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life (2019) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. The film establishes well the banality of Katie Braybens dull nowhere life in Brighton, England amid caravan parks and dreary beachfront pavilions; her home life with her mother having to scrub her back in the bath at one point which sits at pointed contrast to the clichs of the positive thinking tapes Katie ingests. In the play, the word refers to artificially created . The films dark comedic aspects along with just the right character development and intrigue made this a very enjoyable watch. Being a single young woman who lives at home with her mother as basically a live in care taker , cooking, cleaning, bathing, etc. Spoiler-free #review is up. https://bit.ly/3iEQTqW, Theres Something Wrong with the Children has a lot more going on for it than your average creepy-kid #horror #movie. With Val periodically leaving voicemails to let her mom know she is alright, they make their first stop at a wilderness retreat led by Ben. Certainly the area of self help guru's (who seem to know everything, yet still need to make money telling everyone else their secrets) should be made fun of. I wasnt expecting this movie to be a slasher flick or anything, but I was hoping there would have been a lot more death scenes and action in general. I saw this unusual film in Lewes in Sussex where most of the action was filmed. In addition to his work for Scene-Stealers, Nick can be found bitching about music elsewhere on the Internet at his blog, Rock Star Journalist, and as Music Editor for The Pitch. On inspiration, Lou decides to join her. TV Shows. It stars Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball and others. In Message, a man leaves several voicemails on an ex-girlfriend's phone to gloat. Rarely does an independent film really strike cords on all levels but this truly takes the cake. In Winterbottoms film, Reeves was dragged along by a deranged Amanda Plummer. The duo are soon big news, their exploits providing fodder for tabloids and talk radio as they barrel toward their final destination. Katie Braybens performance as Lou is all soft-spoken, people pleasing ineffectuality. Fiona Glascott . Unfortunately, Val happens to be a serial killer and before you know it the bodies are piling up and Lou is soon way in over her head. I didnt think that things got particularly interesting until maybe the last 20 minutes or so and I am still not sure if I liked the big twist at the end or not as it reminded me of the ending of High Tension in a lot of ways (which I despised and feel ruined the entire movie for me). Director: Lena Dunham. Lou is momentarily frozen by this unnecessary guilt trip. Val plans their route, which culminates in a visit to Chuck Knoahs country home. Its a veritable rogues gallery of faux shamans, rebirthers, skeevy new-agers, and snake oil salesmen. A day later, at Val's invitation, Lou visits her at a caravan park. The service requires full JavaScript support in order to view this website. Note: not if, when. When Lou attends a motivational seminar, Val, a forty-something woman, reaches out to Lou. There, Lou describes a road trip of discovery she is taking the next day, and insinuates that Lou should join her. Quite simply a great piece of work. These scenarios are all interconnected and drive the story forward, without overstaying their welcome. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life. A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE will be released on iTunes and Digital HD January 13, 2020. [6], Shooting on a ridiculously tight budget meant problem solving continuously. You did pretty good for your first time. Outwardly, Lou is quiet, shy, and socially awkward. Lou dreams of self improvement and a better life. Irritated with her life, not to mention her mother, Lou attends a self-help seminar. Netflix's gripping serial killer drama series Mindhunter has finally returned for season 2, and we've put together a guide to show's cast, and what the real versions of Mindhunter's characters looked like. Lous only escape from the drudgery comes from her reliance on self-help in all its various forms. She allows people to walk all over her. Writer and director Staten Cousins Roe sets the stage for his feature debut before introducing us to one of the films leads, Louise (Katie Brayben). Kickstarter funded, but confidently directed, handsomely shot and played with perfect pitch by the two leads, A Serial Killer's Guide to Life is a homegrown horror . Staten Cousins Roe, Previous post: Inherit the Viper Doesnt Bite, Next post: Disturbing the Peace is a Crime, All Original Content 2007-2011 Scene-Stealers.com | Privacy Policy, Stunning The Lighthouse Deserves Your Attention, I Kill Giants Doesnt Inspire the Way its Built To, Danny Boyles New Film Puts You In a Trance, Avengers: Age of Ultron is a beached whale of a film. Lou packs her things and sets off to find herself. | The Science Fiction Horror and Fantasy Film Review. You will be redirected once the validation is complete. Uncategorized. A Serial Killer's Guide to Life | Apple TV A Serial Killer's Guide to Life Available on iTunes, Showtime, Prime Video, Hulu, Showtime Anytime, SHOWTIME 30 something, self-help addict, Lou wants nothing more than to escape her overly controlling mother and the dead-end seaside town where she grew up. The following morning, Val stabs the wife to death, with Lou witnessing the aftermath. As radio news begins reporting about the murders, Lou has Val pull over in order to throw-up in a field. Depending on whether you give any credence to what the practitioners do or instead, view them as money-grubbing charlatans, your mileage may vary as to how stoked you are for their inevitable demise, but personally, I felt some of them definitely deserved it. Writer, director, editor Staten Cousins-Roe has created a wonderfully dark world as seen through the eyes of Lou, a young woman trapped at home with a frightningly needy mother. As a successful artist, when he wasn't stalking Jason Morgan . ", "Shows promise, lacks bite 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' (Film Review)", "Movie Review: 'A Serial Killer's Guide to Life' Is Worth Following", "Grimmfest 2019: A Serial Killer's Guide to Life", "UK's FrightFest unveils five-person shortlist for Screen Genre Rising Star Award", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Serial_Killer%27s_Guide_to_Life&oldid=1108671027, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 5 September 2022, at 17:42. Staten Cousins Roe had a vision for this film and it's nothing short of brilliant. . Lou is quiet and shy, not blind. The two finally arrive at Chuck Knoah's estate. It feels like the kind of horror-comedy which would rather invite you in for a nice cup of tea than horrify you. A SERIAL KILLER'S GUIDE TO LIFE DIRECTOR: STATEN COUSINS-ROE / SCREENPLAY: STATEN COUSINS-ROE / STARRING: POPPY ROE, KATIE BRAYBEN, BEN LLOYD-HUGHES, SINEAD MATTHEWS, SIAN CLIFFORD, TOMIWA EDUN / RELEASE DATE: JANUARY 13TH A young woman struggling to find her place in the world turns to the world of self-help. The likes of Killing Eve have shown even we British can engage in a gleeful embrace of the darker side of things. "A Serial Killer's Guide to Life" (2019 release from the UK; 80 min.) This had a promising start, and it grew somewhat into its second act, but when it came time for the third act, it just wrapped up with a cop-out ending that had been done too many times before. Personally, less than Id have expected. Kill off social media influencers, reality TV celebrities or Los Angeles Dodgers fans, and Id be right there with you. Val, a confident self-empowered woman, seems to possess the answers Lou needs to succeed in life. A Serial Killers Guide to Life Leaves a Trail of Bodies and Gallows Humor. The film welcomely digs its teeth into self-help gurus and New Age life coaches everything from Tree Huggers and primal howls in the wild; from a Laughter Yoga group to rebirthers; to a duo who trigger orgasms in the other using sound vibrations. However, after taking some time to reflect upon it, I really got the sense that Roes influence was more akin to the Rmy Belvaux, Andr Bonzel and Benot Poelvoorde 1992 Belgian film Man Bites Dog. This is just further proof that you cant trust anyone online. Consequently, because of this, she is seen as a doormat. Director Staten Cousins Roe deftly builds on his experience directing the short film This Way Out, which also starred Katie Brayben and Poppy Roe. Thoroughly enjoyed this having come to see it without knowing anything about it. Ahead of seeing Roes film, Id read quite a few reviews comparing it to Alice Lowes 2016 black comedy, Prevenge, and theyre not without validity: both films see a downtrodden, put-upon British woman in her mid-30s finding her way in the world by murdering those whove either actively or inactively kept her down. We are subjected to way too many scenes where nothing happens other than Lou and Val sitting around talking about things, I just didnt care about in the first place. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Film Review: A Serial Killers Guide to Life (2019), Critically Acclaimed Shudder OriginalATTACHMENT Queer Jewish Folk-Horror Romance, Out on Shudder Feb 9, Radiance Films Resurrects Unseen French Thriller A WOMAN KILLS For Blu-ray Debut February 7, 2023, Trailer Debut and New Artwork | LOCKWOOD & CO. created by Joe Cornish | Launching on Netflix 27 January. May be too 'odd' for some but still highly recommended. This is all the more hilarious for being real, I suppose. He liked its "darkly humorous tone" that "nails the self-indulged attitudes and attributes of many a life-coaching element," and he "appreciated the dry tone and believable delivery from each actress, as well as the surrounding cast," but felt that, "The idea is a one-trick pony that doesn't truly evolve the premise beyond what's expected and becomes a rinse/repeat of therapeutic slayings that are visually stifled by repetitive cutaways and (sometimes) after-imagery of a corpse." New adventure is an escape and Val is just dark side of the actress. After they do so, we see the dead bodies of Ben and the attendees, their heads bashed in. It has a very interesting theme (which I won't spoil) that actually speaks for itself with very strong attention to detail, top performances and slick direction. Can HBO's The Last of Us bring zombie shows back to life? Not the witty and clever film people are making out, Is someone playing a joke viewers? There is a dry sense of black humour to the film the girls turning from bashing the head of Owain Rhys-Davies in with a rolling pin to saying Dont forget to bring the sandwiches. On the other hand, this is never a black comedy that goes for the throat or pushes everything into uncomfortable territory as a work like Sightseers does. And on that note, these words also apply to the main character. [4][5], A Serial Killer's Guide to Life holds a 92% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 13 reviews. Constantly reminded of her situation, Lou is a small-town girl whos feeling the pangs of being in a rut. Though Lou is at first seemingly ignorant to Vals murderous urges, before long she joins in the killing. She throws her food and then herself on the floor. Bravo Mr. Roe for doing just that, the writer, the producer, the director, damn even the editor, absolutely a gem that I would be proud to show anyone looking a good recommendation. It doesn't have any meaning to take away. All I want in life are simple home invasion slashers that run less than 90 minutes. Download Watch Now A Serial Killer's Guide to Life 2019 Action / Adventure / Comedy / Crime / Horror Available in: 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB WEB: same quality as BluRay Download Subtitles 18 92% - Critics 56% - Audience 5.0 Similar Movies Please enable your VPN when downloading torrents She meets Val one day and they hit it off from the start even though they are totally different people and they go on a trip together, visiting several self-help retreats and the like. It stars Katie Brayben, Poppy Roe, Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Sarah Ball and others. Lou Farnt is a meek young Englishwoman with poor self-esteem, who is emotionally browbeaten by her harsh and demanding mother, with whom she lives. The script is tight and does only what it needs to do and never at any point was I bored or felt like I was being hit over the head with the point. Had the pleasure of viewing A Serial Killers Guide to Life and Grimmfest this year followed by a Q&A with its director and it's certainly been a film to make a lasting impression. If you appreciate low budget independent films then you'll have no reason for enjoying this one. What could have been a fun little dark comedy instead becomes something else all together and I just wasnt that impressed with the end result. Harsh Light News is now available on the News360 website and app. | The same can be said for Poppy Roe as she does a great job bringing the character of Val to life. A self-help addict unwittingly finds herself on a killing spree with her unhinged life coach. 1 Hour 20 Minutes. Roe's Val isn't your typical killer, either: she's guarded, yes, but also nervous. At home, Lou discusses this opportunity with her mother over dinner. Rebirthing Cynthia. I enjoyed Roes performance, which does have much of the same failure to give a damn as Villanelle inEve. A Serial Killers Guide to Life is structured in vignettes, each one corresponding to a platitude from Chuck Knoahs teachings.