10 Extreme Horror Movies That Try To Break Their Audience

5. Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer

Angst movie
Greycat Films

Depravity has never felt so... depraved.

Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer follows the day to day life of nomadic serial killer Henry. He is joined by his prison pal Otis and Otis's sister Becky. Plot wise, think of the movie kind of like Dazed and Confused only with serial killers instead of hippies and far less pleasant to watch.

When watching Henry you can almost understand why, despite being filmed in 1985, it wasn't released until 1990. The movie is completely unfiltered, giving it a raw sense of realism that makes it feel like you're there along with the characters as accomplices in their cruel crimes.

A huge aspect of what makes it so effective is that the world in which the movie takes place in is our own. Serial killer narratives have a habit of trying to spice things up, adding style and substance to give them an extra kick. Henry is not like this. There is nothing movielike about it. It is an unflinching, unapologetic look at what it truly means to be a monster.

The movie acts as a reminder that evil like this can exist anywhere and be enacted upon anyone. No one is safe from the boogeyman.

Contributor
Contributor

Part-time writer, full-time Kurt Russell enthusiast.