When West Texas deputy sheriff, Lou Ford, is revealed to be a psychotic killer, we are taken on a journey inside his head as he tries to explains his sociopathic nature. That's the story at the heart of Michael Winterbottom's (24 Hour Party People, The Trip) The Killer Inside Me, adapted from the pulpy, cult novel by Jim Thompson. Casey Affleck, that sorely underrated actor, plays Ford as a man split down the middle, backed up by the stunning one-two of stars Jessica Alba and Kate Hudson, the women who just happen to be on the wrong end of Ford's sadistic outbursts. A deeply unsettling film and stark in its depictions of violence against women, The Killer Inside Me was a controversial, polarising release, with some critics praising its ultra-black version of neo-noir, and others suggesting that Winterbottom's stylised approach didn't have enough heft to back up its horrific acts. Either way, the film isn't forgotten in a hurry.
